PETALING JAYA: Restaurants must be reasonable and not take advantage of their customers, especially in these difficult times, said the Muslim Restaurant Owners Association of Malaysia. Its president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said costs keep changing all the time but the actual prices of raw materials have not come down, so it is not easy for restaurants to reduce prices, although many have tried to maintain them at pre-pandemic rates. He said before the pandemic, chicken was sold in the RM3 to RM4 range but today, it stands at RM8.90. He added that most of his association members have not increased prices to match the high costs and have tried to keep prices reasonable. “It is important for restaurants to realise that if they take advantage of their customers, people will stop patronising their outlets. They have to put the community first. A self-service concept with free drinking water will help bring down operating costs and food can be sold at lower prices. “Location and rental also play a major role in the cost of food. In Sabak Bernam, for example, a shoplot can be rented for RM2,000 to RM2,500 but in Bangsar, it is in the region of RM33,000. Therefore, where it is cheaper, a roti canai can be sold for RM1 but not in Bangsar.” He said other factors that add to the cost of food are the electricity bill, which is usually over RM6,000, salaries and accommodation rental for workers. Jawahar Ali said food must be sold at reasonable prices and restaurants should aim for volume and not high prices. “It would be better to sell 300 plates of nasi lemak at a reasonable price than 100 plates at a high price.” He also commented on a public complaint that is making its rounds on social media concerning a Port Dickson restaurant that charged RM2 for a glass of warm water. He said such prices are usually seen at tourist spots and the restaurant referred to in the complaint should not charge that much for a glass of warm water, no matter where the customer is from. “The drink should be given for free. An outlet at the KL International Airport that is patronised by airport workers and individuals who are not flight passengers can still sell a cup of tea at RM2 today, so there is no reason to charge RM2 for warm water in Port Dickson. “The display of prices is always a must. But it must also be clearly stated. For example, the prices of big prawns or fish head could be from RM30 to RM100 on the price list. The actual price must be based on weight and size, and prominently displayed, so customers know how much they would be paying.” Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association president J. Govindasamy agreed that raw material, rental, staff salaries and electricity bills contribute to food pricing. He said restaurants are finding it harder to make ends meet as costs keep going up, adding that previously, nett profits would be about 15% but this is no longer true and most restaurants are not making enough. He said staff salaries have also risen from RM1,200 to RM1,500, and this means overtime costs have also gone up, impacting the restaurant’s overall operating expenditure. “Landlords are not bothered how a restaurant is doing as many of them have raised their rental by 20% to 25%, and it does not matter where the restaurant is located. The oFood must be sold at fair prices, and restaurants should focus on volume instead of high profits: Association chief █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] INSIDE TELLING IT AS IT IS ON FRIDAY JANUARY 27, 2023 No. 8196 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my FULFILLING VOWS ... A Hindu devotee and his child leave the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves, Selangor, after fulfiling vows ahead of Thaipusam, which falls on Feb 5. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN price of food per plate is determined by the quantity of raw materials the restaurant can purchase and at what cost.” He said the idea of charging RM2 for a glass of warm water makes no sense but a 50-sen charge is reasonable because of the cost involved in preparing it (water, electricity, gas, labour, usage of equipment and utensils). Govindasamy said restaurants cannot serve raw boiled water, as it has to be filtered first, boiled and then served. There is also the cost of replacing the water cartridge because its life span is based on usage. “The boiler needs gas and maintenance too, which will be included in the operation costs.” Be reasonable Foreign workers needed to fill void: MEF M’sia, Indonesia to discuss CPO 2 benchmark pricing page 3 page
2 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS M’sia, Indonesia to discuss CPO benchmark pricing oRepublic’s plan to have own crude palm oil price setting will affect entire industry globally, says DPM PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will hold a meeting with the Indonesian government to discuss the republic’s intention to have its own crude palm oil (CPO) benchmark price, said Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. He said the matter needs to be discussed jointly as Indonesia’s plan will affect the entire oil palm industry chain globally, not just Malaysia. Fadillah said the meeting to resolve the matter beneficially for all parties has been proposed to be held in the second week of February. “A discussion must be held before any decision on price setting is taken for the benefit of the plantation sectors of both nations.” He was speaking at a media conference after attending the Plantation and Commodities Ministry’s New Year mandate ceremony yesterday. Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan was reported to have said the republic planned to establish its CPO Burning of religious books not acceptable, says Anwar Avoid duplication of TVET programmes: Minister KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry wants the government, through the Human Resources Ministry, to restructure the existing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme to avoid duplication and wastage in its implementation. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the programme, currently carried out by various ministries, should be managed by only a single ministry. “TVET is implemented by various ministries that have their own programmes, causing confusion for industry players after trainees have completed their training from the point of view of employment and so on. “There is no need for all the ministries to do their own TVET programmes because it will look unmanaged and unfocused, and there will be wastage.” She was speaking at the opening of the National Youth Consultation Council’s second consultative session at the International Youth Centre yesterday. She said, for example, if a ministry allocates RM50 million for upgrading its TVET programme but student intake does not reach the maximum level, it will lead to manpower issues in the future, Bernama reported. Yeoh said the Youth and Sports Ministry is ready to cooperate with the Human Resources Ministry to restructure the programme and ensure that it remains relevant to meet the demands of today’s youth. “There are many programmes that may have been popular when I was in school, but now with the gig economy, many young people want flexible working hours. Their views on TVET are also different now. “If we still conduct programmes that do not attract attention, of course we will not be able to get the full participation of youths.” Also present at the event were her deputy Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Majlis Belia Malaysia president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid. Fadillah speaking with ministry staff during the New Year mandate ceremony in Putrajaya yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC benchmark price before June and would no longer have to depend on Kuala Lumpur. Indonesia is the world’s largest palm oil producer, with almost 50 million tonnes of CPO produced annually, Bernama reported. Malaysia Palm Oil Board directorgeneral Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said on Jan 12 that the CPO price this year was expected to fall between RM4,000 and RM4,200 per tonne compared with RM5,087 a tonne in 2022. Fadillah said the issue of the European Union’s ban and trade barriers imposed on palm products would also be discussed when the two countries meet. He said the agri-commodity sector achieved RM268.2 billion in trade value last year, while the trade balance stood at RM146.5 billion. “Agri-commodity products export revenue reached RM207.3 billion or 13.4% of the country’s total export revenue.” Fadillah said he was confident that this year’s agri-commodity trade performance would remain positive despite a 1.1% drop last year compared with 2021. “The agri-commodity sector contributed RM61.3 billion, or 5.5% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product for January to September last year.” Fadillah said the agri-commodity industry still needs around 63,000 foreign workers, primarily for the oil palm sector. He said labour shortage in the oil palm sector had severely impacted productivity and led to about RM20 billion loss in revenue last year. Sabah Cabinet sees reshuffle, fresh appointments KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced fresh appointments and a reshuffle of portfolios of Sabah assistant ministers yesterday. Three assemblymen took their oath of office before the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at Istana Seri Kinabalu. Hajiji said PBS vice-president Datuk Ruslan Muharam, who is also Lumadan assemblyman, has been appointed as assistant minister to the chief minister. He said Inanam assemblyman Peto Gadim (PKR), has been appointed as assistant minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, while Likas assemblyman Tan Lee Fatt (DAP) has been made assistant minister of Finance, Bernama reported. “The appointments were to fill positions left vacant by Datuk James Ratib, former agriculture and fisheries assistant minister, who is now Community Development and People’s Well-being minister, and Datuk Jasnih Daya, who relinquished his post as assistant minister of finance. “The appointments and reshuffle of assistant ministers are a continuing effort to consolidate and strengthen the government administration,” Hajiji said in a statement yesterday. He said four assistant ministers also changed portfolios, namely Datuk Seri Dr Ruddy Awah (GRS), who was appointed as Rural Development assistant minister, Datuk Fairuz Renddan (GRS) as Youth and Sports assistant minister, Datuk Harun Durabi (BN) as Science, Technology and Innovation assistant minister and Datuk Andi Suryady Bandy (BN) as Industrial Development assistant minister. “I would like to stress the importance for the state government to function as a cohesive team, sharing the same aspirations, built on mutual trust. We need a strong team to push our development momentum and fulfil polls pledges.” KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will not tolerate the burning of any religious book or text, including the Quran, Bible or Hindu texts, as Malaysians value humanity and respect the rights of every individual, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Condemning in the strongest terms the act of extremist Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan’s burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden, Anwar said there is so much misunderstanding and prejudice against world religions, including Islam. “What do you want to prove? That you are secular or that you are against Islam or against religions when what you actually portray is the degradation of man and values.” He was speaking at the launch of a book Knowledge, tradition and civilisation: Essays in honour of Prof Osman Bakar at the International Islamic University Malaysia’s International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation yesterday. Anwar said he had asked Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to call the Swedish ambassador and convey Malaysia’s feeling of disgust of Swedish tolerance for the burning of the Quran. – Bernama 20 passport offices nationwide to operate seven days a week KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 20 passport issuing offices nationwide, apart from Urban Transformation Centres, will operate seven days a week starting from today to overcome congestion at Immigration counters. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said passport printing machines would also be added in offices with a high number of visitors. He said the KL International Airport passport office would operate as a passport issuing office for urgent and emergency cases. “Another initial step that has been taken is the improvement of the online appointment system, which will provide date and time as well as the queue number,” he said in a statement on his official Facebook page on Wednesday. Saifuddin said the initial steps to overcome congestion at Immigration counters were decided at a special meeting on Wednesday. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 Farmers’ organisation signs anti-graft pledge KUALA LUMPUR: The Corruption Free Pledge signed by employees of the National Farmers’ Organisation (Nafas), is an effort to improve integrity and express its commitment to be free of graft. Its board of directors chairman Datuk Zamri Yaakob said it is in line with Nafas and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) aspirations in combating graft in the organisation. “This pledge is a sign of commitment in empowering integrity and high values, in order to make Nafas a transparent and outstanding organisation. “As an agency under the purview of the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, it bears the responsibility of improving the socioeconomic situation of farmers, with a focus on increasing income and advancing the country’s agricultural industry,” he said, adding that the pledge is important so that each individual can carry out their duties more responsibly. Earlier, 257 Nafas management staff and employees as well as members of its board, led by Zamri, signed the pledge at the Nafas headquarters in Petaling Jaya, witnessed by MACC Community Education Division director Datuk Razim Mohd Noor. – Bernama Foreign workers needed to fill ‘unwanted jobs’: MEF PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the country relies on foreign labour, particularly for difficult and dangerous jobs in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, services, maids and informal sectors. He was commenting on a recent announcement by Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar that 500,000 workers would be brought into Malaysia via the Foreign Workers Employment Relaxation Plan. He said about 1.1 million legal workers were employed last year, after about 700,000 whose permits had expired returned to their countries during the pandemic. “In certain sectors such as construction, plantation, agriculture, manufacturing and low-end service sectors, foreign labour is oLocals not keen on construction, plantation, agriculture, manufacturing and low-end service sectors █ BY RAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] Eco parks, forest reserves closed due to monsoon risks JOHOR BARU: All forest eco parks, as well as hiking and four wheel drive (4WD) vehicle tracks in permanent forest reserves in Johor remain closed to the public until further notice, said state Forestry director Datuk Salim Aman. He said the closure notice, which was posted on the Johor Forestry Department Facebook page, was issued as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident following the prolonged rainy season. He also advised the public not to enter the areas illegally, considering the current rainy weather in Johor, thus making the areas risky. “Seven districts in Johor have also been hit by floods, so we do not want to encourage any hiking or extreme activities and such, especially in areas where there is a source of water and risk of flooding.” Salim said among areas involved in the closure are hiking tracks at Gunung Berlumut in Kluang, Gunung Bekok in Labis and Gunung Panti in Kota Tinggi. Also affected are the forest eco parks located at Sungai Batang, Bekok in Labis, Gunung Pulai in Kulai and Taka Melor in Segamat. He added that periodic monitoring would also be carried out by the department to ensure there are no violations of the notice. Offenders are liable to action under the Johor State Forestry (Utilisation) Enactment 1985, he said. – Bernama Perak to review revenue enactments IPOH: The Perak government will conduct a study to improve enactments that are no longer relevant, related to the collection of state revenue. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said this includes outdated enactments with small collection rates, while the parties concerned had made excessive profits. “The time has come for us to review and improve enactments so that we can collect more,” he said after delivering his 2023 New Year’s message to Perak civil servants. Saarani said the state government is confident that the Land and Mines Office as well as the district and land offices would be able to meet the collection target of RM780 million this year, which is an increase of 10% from last year’s collection of RM700 million. He also said the state government will reapply for a RM20 million allocation from the federal government to conduct a study on undiscovered mineral resources. – Bernama Govt to have talks with Saudi hoteliers on haj room rates PUTRAJAYA: The government and the Pilgrim Fund Board will soon hold discussions with Mecca and Medina hotel operators on room rates in an effort to control the cost of performing the haj. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the Saudi Arabian government is not responsible for the increase in hotel rates, as informed by its Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabia recently, Bernama reported. “Tawfiq Fawzan said he has no authority over hotel rates. “We would have to deal directly with the hotel owners there,” Mohd Na’im said after announcing the Federal Territory total zakat collection and distribution for 2022. crucial since locals are not keen.” He added that locals are not interested despite efforts by employers to offer free housing, water, electricity and medical coverage and 50% to 60% higher salaries. “Shortage of labour has impacted production and disrupted supply chains and business operations, resulting in delays and companies being unable to meet new orders from local and foreign buyers. “Employers have to continue hiring foreigners, despite the rising cost of employing them. “In the long term, businesses have to position themselves for the new normal. They cannot afford to be constrained by traditional resources, business models and capital allocations.” Syed Hussain also said it is essential for industries to replace workers with automation while low technology manufacturing industries need to utilise technology and be capital intensive to retain competitiveness. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said foreign workers play an important role in supporting economic recovery, especially during this period of uncertainty. He said they are required by industries with existing labour intensive operations due to the absence of local manpower. “The business community does not favour foreign workers over locals. Filling job vacancies with locals has always been a top priority, since employing foreigners is not cheap or easy, with the ever changing labour policies and demands of international labour standards. “Without adequate labour supply, business operations would be hampered and recovery derailed. This would aggravate the price inflation situation and impact business sustainability,” Soh said. “The industry recognises that concerted efforts must be taken to reduce the dependence on foreign workers, and accommodate structural policy changes by the government. “Industries, particularly those that had been most vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic, are now more proactive in deploying automation technologies,” he added. FELINE HAVEN ... Visitors bonding with their newfound furry friends at Meraki Jelatek Cat Cafe in Wangsa Maju, that also serves as an animal shelter. – BERNAMAPIC
4 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS PETALING JAYA: With the Chinese New Year marking the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, an animal that symbolises beauty, elegance and good fortune, many have decided to purchase them as pets. These animals are not cheap with the three most popular breeds – the Dwarf Hotot, Holland Lop and the Netherland Dwarfa – costing between RM150 and RM250 each. However, pet shop owners have expressed concern that the rabbits would be abandoned once the novelty of having them wears off, and when owners realise it is a long-term commitment. Many are not aware that the animal can live for up to 10 years. Independent rabbit rescuer Wong Pui Yen said she received many applications from those keen to adopt the animal. However, she has put adoptions on hold to reduce the possibility of them being neglected. “To adopt a rabbit from us requires patience as we will filter potential adopters beforehand to enable us to know whether they would go a step further when taking care of these animals. “Adopting is different from buying pets at stores as they don’t require any filtration of adopters. Most people would choose to buy rabbits where screening is not needed.” Wong said many pet stores often mistreat rabbits by confining them to small glass cages with limited space to hop around. “This often leads to bone and joint issues that will later worsen as the animal ages,” she said, adding that this was one of the main reasons why owners abandon the rabbits as they could not afford the veterinary treatment cost. “It is an ongoing cycle of abandonment. People must realise that pets are like family. We don’t abandon a sick family member. “In this Year of the Rabbit, we are expecting more abandoned and abused rabbits to turn up,” said Wong. Two local pet stores said the number of rabbits purchased at their stores is significantly higher than in other years. Nilufar Pet and Aquatic employee said rabbits are high-maintenance pets that require a lot of space and attention. “Many people believe rabbits are domesticated animals and are suitable as pets. However, when they realise this is not true, they would confine the animals to small cages with limited space. “This will lead to all sorts of problems for the animal, such as malformed feet and hind legs. There is also the risk of the animals fighting. “Owners should know, just like any other pets, rabbits need proper space to exercise. “Our rabbits are not spayed as some owners want to breed them. It is up to them whether they want to spay their pets.” He said as the number of rabbits sold has increased, he hopes the owners would take good care of them. He advised those who want to purchase a rabbit just for its symbol of good fortune to reconsider their intention. “These animals need a large play area with lots of toys, and should not be confined in cages. “Having a pet is a life-long commitment and responsibility which does not end after the Chinese New Year celebration,” he said. ‘Integrity declining in firms involved in govt aid distribution’ KUALA LUMPUR: “Financial crocodiles”, who make false claims to obtain government funds, resulting in those who should benefit being left out, are preventing the economy from growing. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said integrity values seemed to be declining in a handful of companies responsible for helping the government distribute funds or assistance to the needy. He said the government had provided funds through initiatives and institutions such as the National Economic Recovery Plan, the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit, and the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute to help those who were financially impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. “However, the ‘financial crocodiles’ have taken the opportunity to openly make false claims to obtain funds provided by the government to enrich themselves. “As a result, genuine employees are laid off, graduates remain unemployed, traders who should receive benefits and assistance are marginalised and forced to close their businesses,” he said in a statement yesterday. Ahmad Khusairi added that the leakage in funds occurred as a result of several factors including weaknesses in reviewing the authenticity of the information provided, which resulted in several companies owned by the same individual to make claims. He said a concerted effort by the MACC and the agencies and ministries involved had led to the arrest of 133 individuals comprising company owners and directors, while more than 100 companies were investigated for suspected misappropriation worth over RM194 million in special operations conducted last year. Thirty-four company owners or directors have been charged in court with submitting false claims, he added. – Bernama Downside of keeping up with ‘rabbit-mania’ trend oPet shop owners concerned animals would be abandoned, neglected once ‘good fortune’ novelty wears off Woman takes fridge, washing machine to relief centre SEGAMAT: After many of her electrical items were damaged due to the floods last year, Khatijah Othman, 75, was determined to take along big household appliances with her to a relief centre at Kampung Tasek Community Hall in Gemereh here. The senior citizen loaded her fridge, washing machine as well as some packages onto a lorry driven by her son. When she arrived, Khatijah unloaded all her belongings from the lorry and placed them at the centre, which is under the control of the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department and Malaysian Civil Defence Force. However, due to space constraints, Khatijah’s request to place her appliances at the centre was turned down. The centre was also expecting more flood evacuees to arrive. Khatijah’s granddaughter Siti Balqis Abdullah, 16, who is also seeking shelter at the centre, said her grandmother’s appliances were all damaged in last year’s floods, which occurred in January, November and December. “When the flood waters started rising on Wedneday after several days of rain, my grandmother was determined to take along all her items when it was time to evacuate,” said Siti Balqis. Meanwhile, Gemerah 3 village head Wan Hussein Wan Abas said Khatijah is one of 38 evacuees from 11 families, who were placed at the centre. “After facing floods thrice last year, Kampung Seberang Batu Badak residents now voluntarily seek shelter at the centre, making it easier for us to help and distribute aid to them,” he said. – Bernama Retiree rescues stranded sea turtle LABUAN: A casual day out for Sidi Yusuf@Sidi Gambus ended up in a surprise of sorts when he rescued a stranded hawksbill sea turtle in a shallow stream in Kampung Tanjung Aru Nelayan here on Wednesday. Sidi, a retiree, was alone when he went beach fishing at about 6am. On his return around noon, he saw the turtle, weighing about 20kg, trapped in sandy mud. “I could hardly lift the three-feet long turtle as it was quite heavy,” he said yesterday. He released the turtle back to the sea. Sidi said the turtle seemed exhausted and must have been stuck for hours without food. The Labuan marine park of Kuraman Island and Rusukan Besar Island are the homes for hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive-ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas). –Bernama █ BYNURIN ABDULLAH [email protected] Food supplies airlifted to Orang Asli villages GUA MUSANG: The air unit of the Fire and Rescue Department yesterday completed the task of delivering 25 tonnes of food supplies to 13 Orang Asli settlements and posts in the district. Three aircraft – Agusta 109, Agusta Westland 189 and Mi-17-IV – were used to carry out the assignment due to the unpredictable weather challenges faced by the crew members. Subang central region base operations commander senior fire supt II Wahyudi Mohd Sayuhti said the supply delivery assignment could only start on the fourth day after their arrival from Subang. “The operation, involving 28 flights to deliver food aid to the Orang Asli community in the interior, who were cut off due to damaged roads and affected by the northeast monsoon, has been completed,” he said yesterday. – Bernama Many do not realise that rabbits can live for up to 10 years and caring for them requires commitment. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 More evacuated as floods worsen in Sabah, Johor and Pahang KUALA LUMPUR: The floods in Sabah, Johor and Pahang worsened yesterday morning, sending more people to relief centres, with Sarawak being the latest state to be hit. The Meteorological Department has forecast continuous rain in Kudat, Tawau, Sandakan, West Coast and the interior of Sabah, as well as Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor. In Sabah, the number of flood evacuees increased sharply to 6,313 compared with 1,421 on Wednesday night. The State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat in a statement said Kota Marudu had the most number of evacuees at 4,784 from 1,731 families placed in 11 relief centres, while 761 people (203 families) were moved to three relief centres in Kudat. A total of 406 evacuees from 162 families have been evacuated to four relief centres in Pitas, 344 (88 families) to seven centres in Paitan while 18 (three families) to a centre in Lahad Datu. In Johor, the number of flood evacuees in seven districts, namely Pontian, Kota Tinggi, Kluang, Segamat, Mersing, Batu Pahat and Muar, also rose to 5,455 at 55 relief centres compared with 5,000 people on Wednesday night. Segamat still has the highest number of evacuees at 1,801 from 504 families at 21 relief centres, followed by Kluang at 1,256 (353 families) at 12 centres and Mersing at 1,153 (347 families) at seven centres. The 738 evacuees (179 families) in Kota Tinggi are being housed at seven relief centres, 272 evacuees (74 families) at four centres in Batu Pahat; 217 evacuees (47 families) at three centres in Muar and 18 evacuees (four families) at one relief centre in Pontian. In Pahang, flood evacuees in Rompin, who were placed at three relief centres, increased to 164 people from 49 families yesterday morning. – Bernama Zahid applies for return of passport to carry out official duties KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has filed an application at the High Court to have his passport returned permanently to him to enable him to carry out his official duties as the deputy prime minister. The passport was previously surrendered to the court as an additional bail condition after he was charged with 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving Akalbudi Foundation funds, with proceedings now at the defence stage. Through an affidavit in support of the application, Ahmad Zahid, 70, said the application was bona fide (in good faith), and only aimed to apply for permission to issue a passport so that he could carry out his official duties smoothly. Ahmad Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, said he has some constraints carrying out his duties as he does not have access to his passport. “As the deputy prime minister, I have received the mandate and responsibility from the 10th prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to represent him in several administrative matters,” he said, having filed the notice of application along with the supporting affidavit at the High Court on Jan 20. – Bernama M’sians rally to help baby with life-threatening disease PETALING JAYA: In April last year, Evelyn Mary Alex Santhana was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a condition which blocks the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. She was only two months old back then. Her mother, Ilavarsee Muniandy, 33, said Evelyn had jaundice when she was born at Kajang Hospital. In addition, the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, which partially choked her. “Evelyn was placed in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit for several days to stabilise her breathing,” said Ilavarsee, adding that her daughter had to be under a “bili light”, which is a type of light therapy that is used to treat newborn babies with jaundice. Days later, Evelyn was discharged but while being nursed at home, she continued to suffer from jaundice and was taken to a nearby government clinic for further treatment. However, she continued to suffer from it. “Her blood was drawn to check the jaundice level at the clinic, but nothing came of it. We were finally told to get Evelyn to Kajang Hospital for treatment. She had undergone an ultrasound scan to see if there were blockages in her liver. None could be seen,” Ilavarsee told theSun. Evelyn was then referred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for two more rounds of ultrasound scans. Luckily, she did not experience any fever or lack of appetite. It was only during Evelyn’s third ultrasound session at HKL that they Ilavarsee and Alex with Evelyn. – PIC COURTESY OF ILAVARSEE MUNIANDY AND ALEX SANTHANA oChild to undergo liver transplant in India after donors contribute more than RM300,000 needed █ BYELLY FAZANIZA [email protected] Pensioner remanded over discovery of body MARANG: A pensioner was remanded for seven days, starting yesterday, to assist investigations in connection with the discovery of a woman’s body in undergrowth by the roadside along the Kampung Alor Gali-Wakaf Tapai road in Marang on Jan 19. The remand order against the 59- year-old man was issued by magistrate Zur Azureen Zainalkefli to assist the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code. The suspect was arrested at 2.30pm on Wednesday in Jeli, Kelantan On Wednesday, Marang district police chief DSP Mohd Zain Mat Dris, in a statement, said the victim was identified as Zarina Mukhtar, based on matching fingerprint records archived at the National Registration Department, and through the Criminal Record Registration Division (D2) at Bukit Aman. The body of Zarina, 57, was found lying on her back, fully clothed, in undergrowth by the roadside bush on Jan 19 by a member of the public while looking for palas leaves. There were no signs of a struggle or blood stains found at the location and no signs of stab wounds or cuts on the body. – Bernama Military personnel rescued after boat capsizes SANDAKAN: Seven military personnel from Joint Task Force Headquarters 2 (ATB 2) were rescued after the patrol boat they were travelling in capsized near Pulau Nunuyan, near here on Wednesday morning. According to Sabah police commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah, the 11am incident occurred when their patrol boat was hit by big waves. “On Jan 25 (yesterday), at approximately 10am, ATB 2’s Viper 7 patrol boat, with a strength of seven military personnel, left Pulau Bakungan Kecil to ATB 2 headquarters jetty in Batu Sapi, Sandakan for the purpose of refuelling, logistics and the welfare of members. “However, at approximately 11am, when the patrol boat arrived near the sea of Pulau Nunuyan, it was hit by big waves and caused it (the patrol boat) to capsize,” he said in a statement yesterday. Idris said all personnel were successfully rescued at about 2.50pm on Wednesday by a patrol boat of the 15th Battalion of the General Operations Force and taken to the Sandakan Marine Police Force operational base for treatment and documentation process. – Bernama A LITTLE HELP discovered she had biliary atresia. “We were told that Evelyn needed to undergo a procedure called Kasai, which would take five and a half hours,” Ilavarsee said. Evelyn underwent surgery on July 7, not long before she turned three months old. “We were told that the procedure was a temporary measure to stop the jaundice and that it had to be done before she was three months old. There was also a chance that her liver might fail after undergoing the surgery.” Soon, Ilavarsee noticed that Evelyn’s stool had turned to a watery yellow colour. She brought the sample to HKL where blood tests were carried out. The results led doctors to believe that the Kasai treatment “might have failed”. Evelyn was put on medication and her jaundice came back as well. Finally, her parents were told that Evelyn would need a liver transplant. She was put on a waiting list until a suitable donor was found. Ilavarsee and her husband Alex Santhana were deemed unsuitable donors, as Evelyn’s blood type was Opositive while Ilavarsee’s was Apositive and Alex’s B-positive. Evelyn also needed to increase her weight from 5kg to 10kg to undergo the transplant. At that point, Ilavarsee got in touch with the Biliary Atresia Malaysia Association. She was told that despite the blood type difference, she could still be a donor but the procedure had to be done in a hospital in New Delhi, India. After speaking to doctors, Ilavarsee had Evelyn transferred to the University Malaya Medical Centre, where she is now being tubefed with a special baby formula. Ilavarsee is a housewife while Alex is the family’s sole income earner and works as a lorry driver, earning a monthly salary of RM2,000. The couple have sought the help of Father Bonaventure Rayappan of the Church of the Holy Family Kajang. He has since organised a fundraiser for Evelyn’s trips and medical expenses. The child needs RM300,000 for her transplant in India, which is scheduled to be held in February. As of 9am yesterday, donations have exceeded the target, with RM315,997.58 raised. The surplus funds after deducting local and foreign medical expenses for Evelyn’s treatment would be transferred to the next child suffering from biliary atresia and requiring a similar procedure. “We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all donors for your generous support. What seemed like an impossible dream to save our child’s life has been realised with your assistance. This is the spirit of ‘Malaysia Boleh’ at its best and we can’t be more overjoyed,” Ilavarsee said.
6 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Myanmar opium farming booming after coup oFinancial hardship forced many labourers to work in poppy cultivation: UN YANGON: Opium poppy production in Myanmar ramped up dramatically following the 2021 military coup, the UN’s drugs office said yesterday, as political and economic turmoil drove farmers to cultivate the crop. The area of land used for opium poppy cultivation expanded by a third to just over 40,000ha from 2021 to 2022 – the first full growing season since the coup – according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report released yesterday. The potential output also shot up by nearly 90% compared with the previous year, to 790 tonnes. The results show that there is a “significant expansion” of Myanmar’s opium economy, the report said. “Economic, security and governance disruptions that followed the military takeover of February 2021 have converged and farmers have had little option but to move back to opium,” said UNODC regional representative Jeremy Douglas. “The growth in the drug business is directly connected to the crisis the country is facing.” The report, based on satellite China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80% BEIJING: The number of daily Covid-19 deaths in China has fallen by nearly 80% since the start of the month, authorities said, in a sign that the country’s unprecedented infection surge may have started to abate. A wave of virus cases has washed over the nation since Beijing abruptly ended its zero-Covid policy last month. Beijing’s figures are believed to only represent a fraction of the true toll, given China’s narrow definition of a Covid death and official estimates that swathes of the population have been infected. The CDC last week said nearly 13,000 people had died from Covid-related illnesses between Jan 13 and 19, adding to a previous announcement that around 60,000 people had succumbed to the virus in hospitals in just over a month. But recent local government and media reports indicated that the wave may have started to recede since peaking in late December and early January when hospitals and crematoriums were packed. There were 896 deaths attributable to the virus in hospitals on Monday, a decline of 79% from Jan 4, China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. Severe cases in hospitals also dwindled to 36,000 by Monday, representing a 72% drop from a high of 128,000 on Jan 5, it said. – AFP Thai premier walks out of news conference over Thaksin question B R I E F S ENGINEER JAILED FOR SPYING IN U.S. WASHINGTON: A Chinese engineer was sentenced to eight years in a US prison on Wednesday for providing Beijing with information on possible recruitment targets. Ji Chaoqun, who came to the US on a student visa in 2013 and later enlisted in the army reserves, was accused of identifying American scientists and engineers that could be recruited by the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security. Ji was arrested in September 2018 on charges that he had supplied Chinese intelligence with biographical information about eight people, all naturalised American citizens originally from China or Taiwan. – AFP EIGHT DEAD IN CARGO SHIP ACCIDENT BEIJING: Eight people have died after a cargo ship capsized off the coast of Japan, six of whom were Chinese nationals, a government official told broadcaster CGTN yesterday. Hong Kong-registered Jin Tian, which had a crew of 22 from China and Myanmar, issued a distress call on Tuesday night, the Japanese coast guard said. The vessel eventually sank between Nagasaki and South Korea’s Jeju island. China’s consul-general in the city of Fukuoka, Lu Guijun, told CGTN that a search operation for 13 missing individuals had retrieved five crew with non-life threatening conditions. – Reuters PRAYING FOR GOOD LUCK ... Worshippers burning joss sticks at the Che Kung Temple in Hong Kong on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. – AFPPIC imagery and fieldwork, said the downward trend in opium production seen from 2014 to 2020 had gone into reverse. UNODC estimates Myanmar’s opium economy is worth around US$2 billion – the equivalent of up to 3% of the country’s GDP in 2021. Despite the spike in production, farm gate prices for opium have also soared to around US$280 a kilogramme, the report said – a 69% rise on the previous year. This compares with a farm gate price of US$203 in Afghanistan, the world’s leading opium producer. But the report said higher incomes from opium are not translating into greater buying power for farmers, because of higher petrol and fertiliser prices as a result of the Ukraine war. Around 40% of the population was living in poverty last year, and Douglas said financial hardship had forced many labourers to leave urban areas to work in poppy cultivation in the countryside. Farmers need outside support to boost their livelihoods growing other crops to compete with the opium economy, said UNODC Myanmar country manager Benedikt Hofmann. “Opium cultivation is really about economics, and it cannot be resolved by destroying crops which only escalates vulnerabilities.” The report cited figures from Myanmar’s Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control stating 1,403ha of opium poppies had been eradicated last year – a 70% decline on the previous year. – AFP ‘Invasion Day’ rallies mark Australian national holiday CANBERRA: Thousands of Australians marked the country’s national day celebrations yesterday with rallies in support of Indigenous people, many of whom describe the anniversary of the day a British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour as “Invasion Day”. In Sydney, state capital of New South Wales, social media showed a large crowd gathered at an “Invasion Day” rally in the central business district, where some people carried Aboriginal flags and an Indigenous smoking ceremony took place. Similar protests took place in other Australian state capitals, including in South Australia’s Adelaide, where around 2,000 people attended, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Speaking at a flag-raising and citizenship ceremony in Australia’s capital Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese honoured the nation’s Indigenous people, who have occupied the land for at least 65,000 years. “Let us all recognise the unique privilege that we have to share this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture.” There were no plans to change the holiday’s date, he said. An annual poll by market research company Roy Morgan released this week showed nearly two-thirds of Australians say Jan 26 should be considered “Australia Day”, largely unchanged from a year ago. The rest believe it should be “Invasion Day”. Amid the debate, some companies have adopted flexibility around observance of the holiday. Australia’s largest telecoms company, Telstra Corp Ltd, this year gave its staff the option to work on Jan 26 and take another day off instead. “For many First Nations peoples, Australia Day marks a turning point that saw lives lost, culture devalued, and connections between people and places destroyed,” Telstra chief executive officer Vicki Brady wrote on LinkedIn. Many of Australia’s 880,000 or so Indigenous people out of a population of 25 million lag behind others on economic and social indicators in what the government calls “entrenched inequality”. One of those at the Sydney protest, Abi George, said it was not a happy day for all Australians, especially Indigenous people. “Nobody’s got the right to celebrate genocide,” she said. – Reuters BANGKOK: The mere mention of Thailand’s ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra prompted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to walk out of a news conference this week, irked by talk of the exiled political heavyweight’s long-touted return. As a general in a royalist military that ousted the governments of both Thaksin in 2006 and his sister Yingluck in 2014, Prayuth’s enmity with the billionaire Shinawatra family goes back more than a decade. In an election due by May, Prayuth, 68, could face off against Thaksin’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, who has garnered twice as much support, topping recent opinion polls on who should be Thailand’s next premier. “Don’t talk about that person. I don’t like it,” Prayuth said on Wednesday, cutting off a reporter’s question about Thaksin before walking away from the podium and out of the venue. Thaksin has been at the heart of 17 years of on-off tumult in Thailand, despite living in self-exile mostly in Dubai since 2008, to avoid a jail term that he maintains was engineered by rivals in the military and conservative establishment. The 73-year-old has been promoting his daughter’s candidacy and on Tuesday accused Prayuth of dragging his heels on dissolving Parliament, while reiterating he would return to Thailand soon. Paetongtarn, 36, last week declared her readiness to be prime minister with the Pheu Thai Party, which won most seats in the 2019 election but not enough to form a government. The Shinawatras and their allies have won unprecedented majorities in five elections since 2001, campaigning on Thaksin’s name and populist policies that earned a loyal following among working-class Thais. Prayuth, who has joined a new party, is expected to seek the premiership again after eight years in charge as both a junta chief and head of a 17-party coalition. – Reuters
7 * NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 Ukraine wants long-range missiles, jets from West KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he wants the West to send long-range missiles and jets to his war-torn country to help repel Russian troops. He thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden for their decision to send heavy tanks to Ukraine. But Zelensky said Ukraine needed more weapons, including long-range missiles and jets. “I’ve spoken with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg,” he said in a video address. “We must also open deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important, we must expand our cooperation in artillery,” he said, adding that Ukraine needed jets. “This is a dream and this is a task.” He also urged Western countries to send tanks quickly and in sufficient volumes. oRussia slams US and German tank promises as ‘direct involvement’ in conflict “Speed and volume are key now,” he said, referring to deliveries and training of soldiers. “The terrorist state must lose,” Zelensky said, referring to Russia. “The more defence support our heroes at the front receive from the world, the faster Russia’s aggression will end.” After weeks of speculation, Biden approved sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Germany confirmed it would make 14 of its Leopard 2A6 tanks available, giving partner countries its permission to re-export other tanks. The twin announcements will come as a major relief for Kyiv, which has pleaded for months for heavy Western tanks to aid its battle. The Kremlin said yesterday a decision by Western countries to supply Ukraine with modern tanks meant that they were party to the conflict. “European capitals and Washington constantly give statements that sending various types of weapons, including tanks, in no way means their involvement in hostilities,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “We strongly disagree with this. “In Moscow, this is perceived as direct involvement in the conflict and we see that this is growing.” Meanwhile, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said one person had been killed and two more were wounded yesterday after Russia launched more than a dozen missiles in its latest large-scale aerial offensive. “As a result of a rocket hitting a non-residential building in the Golosiivsky district, there is information that one person is dead and two wounded,” Klitschko said in a statement on social media. The Kyiv city military administration said the death was due to parts of a missile falling. In an interview with Sky News, Zelensky discussed the increasing strength of Russian attacks, anticipating a “couple of surges”. “The east is losing a lot of people. They don’t care about that. “We count their losses. Thousands of soldiers. They just throw them into the meat grinder.” – The Independent/AFP WINTER BLUES ... Trucks are stuck due to heavy snow on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in the Japanese city of Yokkaichi. – AFPPIC Prosecutor charges Beirut blast judge BEIRUT: The judge leading the investigation into Beirut’s deadly 2020 port blast refused on Wednesday to step down from the probe, rejecting charges brought against him by Lebanon’s top prosecutor in the politically charged case. Investigative judge Tarek Bitar defied Lebanon’s entrenched ruling elite this week by daring to charge several powerful figures – including prosecutor-general Ghassan Oueidat – over the blast and reviving a probe that was suspended for over a year amid vehement political and legal pushback. One of history’s biggest non-nuclear explosions, the Aug 4, 2020 blast destroyed much of Beirut port and surrounding areas, killing more than 215 people and injuring over 6,500. Ghassan told AFP on Wednesday that in order to “prevent sedition”, he had “charged investigative judge Tarek Bitar and banned him from travel for rebelling against the judiciary and usurping power”. But a defiant Tarek told AFP: “I am still the investigative judge and I will not step down from this case.” Ghassan “cannot charge a judge who has already charged him”, he said, adding that the chief prosecutor “has no authority to charge me”. A judicial official said Ghassan summoned Tarek for questioning yesterday but the investigator refused to attend. The judicial arm-wrestling is the latest of crisis-torn Lebanon’s mounting woes, as the value of its currency hit a new record low against the US dollar on Wednesday. Authorities said the mega-explosion was caused by a fire in a portside warehouse where a vast stockpile of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate had been haphazardly stored for years. Tarek resumed work on the investigation after a 13-month hiatus, charging eight officials – including Ghassan, head of general security Abbas Ibrahim and State Security Agency chief Tony Saliba – with probable intent to murder, arson and other crimes. Ghassan, who has rejected the charges, on Wednesday ordered the “release of all those detained over the Beirut port explosion case, without exception” and banned them from travel, according to a judicial document seen by AFP. Some of the detainees were released later in the day, AFP correspondents reported. Lawyer and activist Nizar Saghieh said Ghassan had “no authority” to release the detainees and that his moves were akin to “crowning the port explosion case with impunity”. The decision was a “mafia-style coup on whatever was left of the rule of law” in Lebanon, he said. – AFP Teacher shot by six-year-old to sue school over inaction WASHINGTON: An American elementary school teacher shot by her six-year-old pupil plans to file a lawsuit against school authorities, saying they ignored multiple warnings over the threat, her lawyer said on Wednesday. Diane Toscano said administrators at the Richneck Elementary School in Virginia were warned three times on Jan 6 by her client Abigail Zwerner and other teachers that the boy could have a gun and was threatening others. That morning, Zwerner, 25, told school administrators that the boy, who has not been identified, had threatened to beat up another child. “But the school administration could not be bothered,” Toscano said. An hour later, another teacher told them that the boy brought a gun to school but she did not see it in his school bag, and that he might have it in his pockets. A third teacher then reported that another pupil said while crying that he had seen the gun and been threatened with it. Still no action was taken, and a school employee was denied permission to physically search the boy. An administrator said the boy “has little pockets” and that the issue could be left until the school day ends. “Tragically almost an hour later, violence struck. Zwerner was shot in front of those horrified kids,” said Toscano. “This tragedy was entirely preventable if the school administrators responsible for school safety had done their part and taken action when they had knowledge of imminent danger.” Zwerner survived being shot in the chest and is now recuperating at home, but faces more surgery. In a statement, the boy’s parents said he suffers from “an acute disability” and a member of the family usually accompany him to school and class. “The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him,” they said. – AFP Trump allowed back on Facebook, Instagram WASHINGTON: Social networking giant Meta announced on Tuesday it would soon reinstate former president Donald Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram with “new guardrails”, two years after he was banned over the 2021 US Capitol insurrection. “We will be reinstating Mr Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks,” Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg said, adding that the move would come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offences”. Going forward, the tycoon – who has already declared himself a 2024 presidential candidate – could be suspended for up to two years for each violation of platform policies, Clegg said. It was not clear when or if Trump will return to the platforms but he reacted in typically bullish fashion, crowing that Facebook had lost “billions of dollars in value” in his absence. “Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting president, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!” he said on his Truth Social platform. Facebook banned Trump a day after the Jan 6, 2021 uprising, when a mob of his supporters seeking to halt the certification of his election defeat to Joe Biden stormed the US Capitol. In a letter asking for the ban to be overturned, Trump lawyer Scott Gast said last week that Meta had “dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse”. Gast asked for a meeting to discuss Trump’s “prompt reinstatement to the platform” of Facebook, where he had 34 million followers, arguing that his status as the leading contender for the Republican nomination in 2024 justified ending the ban. – AFP B R I E F SPERU FACES FOOD AND FUEL SHORTAGES LIMA: Shortages in Peru of basic products, including increasingly expensive fuel and food, mount further on Wednesday, as the president remained defiant in the face of relentless protests. Dozens of roadblocks are hindering freight deliveries to the country’s south, where protests demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte have been most intense. In the city of Puno, where some of the worst violence has occurred, prices of basic food items such as potatoes and tomatoes have tripled. But Boluarte said she will not yield to the demonstrators. “I am not going to surrender to authoritarian groups that want to impose solutions that are not part of our constitutional order or the democratic tradition.” – AFP ONE DEAD IN ATTACK ON SPAIN CHURCHES MADRID: A church official was killed and a priest seriously wounded on Wednesday when a man wielding a machete stormed two churches in the Spanish port city of Algeciras. “A man entered the church of San Isidro in Algeciras, where, armed with a machete, he attacked the priest, leaving him seriously wounded,” an Interior Ministry statement said. “Subsequently, he entered the church of Nuestra Senora de La Palma in which, after causing damages, he attacked the verger. The verger managed to get out of the church but was caught by the attacker outside and sustained mortal injuries,” it said, indicating he had died on the spot. “Moments later, (the assailant) was disarmed and arrested.” – AFP
8 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 SPEAK UP Indonesian success stories include PayTren, a payment gateway service that facilitates everyday monetary transactions alongside Alami, an award-winning and world’s first Shariah challenger bank as well as Kapital Boost, an Islamic-based P2P platform that offers short-term, ethical investment opportunities to global investors. However, the Islamic fintech industry in both Malaysia and Indonesia is still nascent. We are still lagging in the share of equitybased financing products, i.e. based on the contractual principles of Musharakah (profit and losssharing) and Mudarabah (profit sharing) and also the lack of a distinct and specialised institutional structure to adjudicate on Islamic-based financial disputes, which still have to rely on the civil courts (“A comparison between Malaysia and Indonesia in Islamic banking industry”, Research Journal of Business and Management, Atikullah A., 2017). Meanwhile, a report from a global news platform shows that Indonesia has the fifth largest share (US$2.9 billion/RM12.33 billion) of the Islamic fintech market in the world. Reports also noted that millennials dominate the borrower category. The first in line is Saudi Arabia with US$17.9 billion, followed by Iran with US$9.2 billion, United Arab Emirates, US$3.7 billion and Malaysia US$3 billion” (“Indonesian Shariah Fintech market fifth largest in the world”, OpenGov, May 11, 2021). According to an article published on F1000Research (“Business trends and challenges in Islamic FinTech: A systematic literature review”, 2022), current issues holding back Islamic fintech developments further in Malaysia are as follows: 0 lack of specialist talents (in both Islamic finance and fintech); 0 lack of regulatory guidance; and 0 lack of a standardised Shariah-benchmark for Islamic fintech However, bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia can address these shortcomings via strategic synergies. Beyond the cultural and religious commonalities (ties of kith and kinship) as well as geographical proximity, which enables economies of scale and market integration, among others, Malaysia and Indonesia also share a common vision to utilise Islamic fintech to achieve greater financial inclusion and economic empowerment. In 2020, the Securities Commission (SC) of Malaysia and Indonesia’s OJK (Financial Services Authority) entered into a fintech cooperation agreement to facilitate information sharing and referrals for businesses seeking to operate in the other’s jurisdictions (“SC inks fintech cooperation agreement with OJK, expanding collaboration between Malaysia – Indonesia”, SC Malaysia, Aug 24, 2020). This is no surprise as these two countries bring to the table distinct and complementary strengths and contributions. Malaysia has been ranked first among 81 countries for nine consecutive years as a global leader in Islamic finance (“Islamic FinTechs Rise in Southeast Asia”, FinTech News Malaysia, Oct 18, 2022). Indonesia is among one of the fastest growing Southeast Asia countries with the world’s largest Muslim population (“Economy of Indonesia”, Indonesia Investments, 2022). In order to fully unlock the wealth of opportunities in Islamic fintech, Emir Research would like to propose the following policies: 1. SC and OJK should implement a framework to provide bilateral accreditation for Islamic fintech courses This would take the existing cooperation agreement a step further by encouraging and paving the way for convergence and an emerging solid consensus on Islamic fintech standards, at least in the wider Southeast Asia region. Such a convergence and consensus can then serve as a model and template to be replicated and duplicated in other parts of the world with significant Muslim populace (e.g. in South Asia). 2. SC and OJK should implement a framework to co-develop Islamic fintech consumer protection guidelines and regulations At the same time, both countries can also step up with the existing cooperation agreement through maximum co-integrations of Islamic fintech principles and practices by co-developing consumer protection guidelines and regulations. Together, both Malaysia and Indonesia can be the leading players in the global Islamic fintech industry, incubating creative and startof-the-art solutions where social and ethical benefits are at the core of an Islamic financial ecosystem (4.0 and beyond). Jason Loh and Jennifer Ley Ho Ying are part of the research team at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: [email protected] @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Islamic fintech for financial inclusion LAST year, Bank Negara announced five successful applicants of the digital banking licences under the respective Financial Services Act 2013 and Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. This followed the issuance of the policy document on Licensing Framework for Digital Banks in 2020. Three out of the five applicants are majority-owned by locals. The applicants will have “to undergo a period of operational readiness that will be validated by Bank Negara through an audit before they can commence operations. This process may take between 12 to 24 months” (Bank Negara press release, April 29, 2022). As part of the conditions for the licence application, digital banks will have “to offer banking products and services to the underserved or unserved markets, and address the financial inclusion gaps in the country” (“Fostering financial inclusion through digital banking in Malaysia”, The Edge Markets, Aug 8, 2022). The presence of digital banking is in line with the country’s broader digitalisation vision to transform the economy and industry, of which the banking and financial sectors are encompassed. Digital banking, which is driven by fintech (financial technology), is thus on the march in Malaysia, propelled by a conducive and supportive regulatory, institutional and policy environment and with an eye on a potentially untapped domestic market. As Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, Islamic fintech represents a promising platform that will provide financing solutions that are not only cost effective, convenient and Shariahcompliant (in relation to the lenders), but also supportive of financial inclusion and economic empowerment (in relation to the borrowers). Funding/financial access has been a major issue for many Malaysians, whether on the retail side (for the individual and household consumer) or business side (MSMEs – micro, small, and medium sized enterprises). Although accessibility (i.e. in terms of location) is not a huge problem for a country like ours, fintech holds the trump card when it comes to ease and convenience, i.e. from the viewpoint and experience of the consumer. With the domestic banking industry downsizing and cutting costs by reducing operations (transferring staff from front-end to back-end roles and vice-versa) or completely shutting down operations via branch closures, including retrenchment, the issue of accessibility is also rapidly becoming a practical issue, which digital banking can leverage on. According to global consultancy Roland Berger, “there will be an 18% net reduction of retail bank branches across Southeast Asia by 2030 as lenders increasingly move away from branch-based services”. The firm also estimated that “there will be 567 closures in Malaysia within the decade, with the number of physical branches projected to drop by 23% to about 1,900 in 2030 from 2,467 in 2020” (“Nearly 600 bank branches in Malaysia to close by 2030”, The Edge Markets, May 17, 2021). Foreign-based HSBC, which already lacks a substantial presence in Malaysia, announced in 2021 that it will shut down 13 branches nationwide. And recently, CIMB closed 13 branches (to be merged or relocated) due to the growth of online banking. Islamic fintech may be the best contender to harness innovative solutions to address issues of access and accessibility, and tap into the overall market (comprising both Muslims and non-Muslims). Industry findings estimate 55% of the country’s adult population is unbanked (unserved) or under-banked (underserved), and just 39% of Malaysians are able to get a loan from their banks (“Tapping into the potential of digital banking”, The Star, June 6, 2022). Furthermore, 77% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) remain only at a basic digitalisation stage (“Challenges in Digital Adoption”, SME Corp, Oct 20, 2021). Similarly, Indonesia has an unbanked population of 51% and has only 30% of MSMEs in the digital market (“Indonesia strives to expand coverage of digitalisation of MSMEs”, Antara News, Sept 16, 2022). The lack of digital adoption in MSMEs can significantly hold back the economic potential of both countries. Digitalisation and digital tools help businesses reduce costs, standardise and automate business processes and reduce the reliance on manpower. Digitalisation is also a prerequisite to remaining competitive in a world that is constantly transformed by technology, from the way one can now enjoy their entire shopping (e.g. retail automation) or dining experience (i.e. robotic restaurants) without a single human employee, to the way one can now instantaneously communicate with another despite the distance (including topographical barriers). Digitalisation enables businesses to innovate solutions and achieve efficiency. One of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of widespread digital adoption among businessowners in Malaysia is the financing costs associated with all the hardware and software. With a majority of the population also being unbanked or under-banked, this means that essential financial services providing credit access are largely inaccessible to those who need it most. Thus, digitalisation for economic empowerment is also a problem of financial inclusion. Islamic fintech can drive solutions for SMEs and unbanked retail users as well as reduce the cost of services, and innovate payment solutions to improve market expansion (“Leveraging Islamic Fintech to Improve Financial Inclusion”, World Bank, Nov 18, 2020). The untapped potential of Islamic fintech is also in part reflected in the projected 21% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) by 2025 (compared with only 15% for conventional fintech), exponential growth of the Muslim birthrate, and also the increased global demand for socially responsible investing and business practices, or ESG, which co-aligns nicely with Islamic finance principles (“Islamic FinTechs Rise in Southeast Asia”, FinTech News Malaysia, Oct 18, 2022). Islamic fintech is based on four main principles of Islamic finance, which are: i) profit-and-loss sharing (musharakah/mudarabah); ii) all wealth must be assetbacked and have a real economic purpose; iii) investments should also have a social and ethical benefit beyond mere monetary returns; and iv) harmful (haram) activities and industries should be avoided. It is also characterised by the prohibition of interest (riba), excessive uncertainty (gharar), and gambling (maysir). The principle of profit-and-loss sharing protects the borrower from disproportionately bearing the brunt of the risk in a business venture and the principle of wealth being asset-backed has led to Islamic investments being historically less volatile. Zakat, sadaqah, waqf, Islamic microfinance and micro takaful models also reduce the number of unbanked by providing them with financial access, thereby contributing to financial inclusion. Examples of Islamic fintech in Malaysia include HelloGold, an award-winning and Malaysian-grown Islamic fintech app that enables individuals to protect their savings via gold in a Shariah-compliant way. Other notable examples include MicroLEAP, Malaysia’s first Shariah-compliant P2P (peer-to-peer) financing platform for MSMEs, and also PayHalal, the world’s first Shariah-compliant payment gateway/digital payments solution. “Islamic fintech represents a promising platform that will provide financing solutions that are not only cost effective, convenient and Shariahcompliant, but also supportive of financial inclusion and economic empowerment. Malaysia has been ranked first among 81 countries for nine consecutive years as a global leader in Islamic finance. – REUTERSPIC COMMENT by Jason Loh and Jennifer Ley Ho Ying
ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 We dedicate this edition of BUZZ to the colours and scents of the season
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 S2 EACH flower represents something unique. People have long used flowers as a means of communicating feelings that are difficult to put into words. Therefore, before choosing the ideal flowers for an occasion, birthday party, graduation, or other happy event, you should first read up on these unexpected flower meanings. Discover the floral language to make the best bloom selection for the significant individual in your life. Baby’s breath These small white flower bunches are really not only there to fill up bouquets. They stand for celebration and pleasure. While the origin of the term “baby’s breath” is unknown, some claim that it refers to the flower’s sweet scent or the fact that it is the “baby” of all flowers since it is so little and fragile. And if you want to keep a bouquet fresh, baby’s breath is ideal because it dries nicely by just standing up in a vase. Rose According to Greek mythology, the god of vegetation and rebirth Adonis is the source of roses. The most typical associations of roses are with romance and love. Roses may also stand for confidentiality or secrecy. “Sub rosa”, which means beneath the rose, is an old phrase. The significance of a rose changes depending on the flower’s colour. Orange flowers stand for excitement and passion, pink roses for grace, adoration, and delight, red roses for love and romance, yellow roses for friendship, and white roses for purity and innocence. Lily Lilies are frequently used in funeral bouquets and condolence displays since they are thought of as lovely sombre flowers. However, they are lovely enough to savour throughout any occasion! Llilies are thought to stand for rebirth and fertility, although each colour conveys a somewhat different message. Red lilies are said to signify love and passion, white lilies are thought to symbolise rebirth and purity, pink lilies are thought to signify femininity and adoration, orange lilies are thought to signify confidence, and yellow lilies are thought to signify thanks. Tulip Tulips are most commonly associated with flawless and intense love. Tulips have been associated with the concept of love since they are a traditional bloom that has been cherished by people for years. They are the perfect gift to offer your partner, kids, parents, or siblings, or anybody else you have a strong, unwavering affection for. These stunning pieces are a love letter. Tulips may also be used to make arrangements in a variety of ways, including as a single colour, a bright mix of tone-on-tone flowers, or combinations of clashing colours. oRead on to find out how to decode the secret meanings behind some popular flowers █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Tulip. Sunflower. Orchids. Carnation. Sunflower The sunflower gets its name from its propensity to turn itself toward the sun. Its name, Helianthus, derives from the Greek words “helios,“ which means “sun,“ and “anthos,“ which means “flower.” The yellow colour of the sunflower represents vigour, intellect, and pleasure. Yellow has long been used as a sign of friendliness. Due to its likeness to the sun, which is connected to spiritual understanding and the desire to find light and truth, sunflowers also represent adoration and fidelity in numerous religions. Orchid In antiquity, orchids were connected to virility in Greece. In fact, Greek women thought that if their pregnant child’s father consumed huge, brand-new orchid tubers, the kid would be a male. The woman would give birth to a daughter if she consumed tiny orchid tubers. Each hue of orchid has its own importance and meaning, making them a treasure of symbolism. Favourite orchids like Dendrobium, Cymbidium can have colours like red, pink, white, blue, green, purple, orange, and yellow. Although the word “orchid” has many different meanings in general, including wisdom, elegance, fertility, beauty, appeal, and affection, these magnificent blossoms are ideal for any event, even just to bring happiness. Carnation Because of its spiky petals that seem they were chopped with rotary cutters, carnations are sometimes known as pinks. Dianthus Caryophyllus is the scientific name for carnations. The meanings of the carnation include admiration, uniqueness, and love. Dianthus, which translates from the Greek as “Flower of Gods,“ is made up of the words “dios,“ which means “god,“ and “anthos,“ which means “flower.” Additionally, it loosely translates to “flower of love,“ which is an appropriate name for a carnation. The carnation flower represents love, enchantment, and uniqueness, so it’s no surprise that it’s so popular today and the greatest substitute for rose bouquets. Because of its enduring freshness and aroma, it also adds beauty to any bunch. Rose.
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 S3 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME PLANTER Chin is a relatively fresh and interesting addition to an alley filled with busy, beautiful cafés and coffee shops, sitting tucked behind an unassuming door next to Lisette’s Café & Bakery in Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar. With its bright, plant-filled ambience, enthusiastic hosts, and delicious brunch dishes, it more than holds its own against some of the more established cafés in the Bangsar area, mainly due to its refreshing identity as a plant café. The BUZZ team recently visited Planter Chin to see what all the fuss was about. There, we discovered that founder Jeremy Chin, often known as “the Planter Chin Guy”, has been in the F&B scene since 2003. “Becoming an entrepreneur, I believe, isn’t something you wake up one day wanting to do, it’s a natural progression. At least this is what happened to me! The notion of ‘see a need fill a need’ is pretty much the summation of how things began – there was a gap in the coffee culture that I felt I could fulfill,” he said during our interview. How did Planter Chin first start? Chin explained: “It was during the global pandemic. It was a tough one and I witnessed friends, family and my community slowly break down. So, I asked myself: ‘What can I do for them?’ “I combined my hobby of botany with my passion for coffee, and gave it a platform so that others could enjoy it as well. Planter Chin was born from the idea that I should share with others what brought me joy!” We were welcomed with a couple drinks. We began with a cup of latte, happy to find a pleasant fragrance in the well-steamed milk. With a beautiful latte art on it, the beverage looked beautiful and tempting. And, certainly, it tasted just the way a coffee lover would want – creamy and smooth. I also tried their iced white coffee, which isn’t the best, but isn’t bad either. The Yuri Matcha was next. Personally, I am not a lover of green tea, but if I were to have a matcha drink, Planter Chin would be the place to go. The somewhat vibrant green beverage has a very smooth flavour and is not at all bitter. It appears to be one of the higher quality ones in terms of colour, texture, and scent. The house-brewed apple Kombucha was undoubtedly the drink of the day for us. It has a fruity flavour and is light and sweet. It was Chin, also known as the Planter Chin Guy. – ALL PIX BY THE BUZZ TEAM oHave a seat and surround yourself with greens at Planter Chin █ BY THE BUZZ TEAM (right) The hidden door leading up to the café. (fromleft) Chef Sisira Santha, Chin and barista Rayn. (left) Surrounded by green plants. The signature drinks of Planter Chin. A yummy brunch that you can dig into. served in a wine glass and it was extremely refreshing. Like wine, each batch of kombucha is unique based on the brewing techniques used, and it is fair to say that Planter Chin did a great job in making this drink. It was my personal fave, even though some of my co-workers did not enjoy it as much as I did. Hands down this is one of the best Kombucha I’ve ever tasted. We tried their Creamy Mushrooms on Toast. Sourdough bread, cherry tomatoes, king oyster, portobello, parmesan crips, and shimeji mushrooms are among the ingredients. The handmade parmesan cheese balanced the flavour of the mushroom perfectly, and the bread wasn’t as chewy or tough to cut. That adds to the list of reasons why I enjoyed the meal. Another gem I discovered in Planter Chin is their Breakfast Muffintop, consisting of folded scrambled egg, chicken slice, crushed feta, cucumbers, and sweet relish mayo on a breakfast bun. My love for chicken is endless. Therefore, this meal has to be my favourite of the day; it was juicy, chewy, and most importantly, the flavours of all the spices blended so well. When you visit, be sure to get a dish of this; I promise you won’t be disappointed. Finally, there’s the Beef Bacon Carbonara. My coworkers all said they enjoyed the meal and that it was “incredibly creamy” and that they would surely come back to eat it again. We were also urged to taste their desserts – which are rotated weekly – before we left. On this particular week, we had their brownies with vanilla ice cream on top, and lemon cake. The brownie was smooth, fairly dense, and not overly sweet. And of course, the lemon cake will be the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers. It was fluffy, tangy and bursting with strong lemon flavour. Chin expressed: “It’s a weird time for the café industry now. Seems like everyone is quitting their jobs to open up cafés. Same design/menu, just replication on overdrive. We will hit a point when there will be more cafés than customers.” When asked what advice he would give to the younger generation of prospective café owners, he said: “Take the time to evaluate whether your concept has longevity and is sustainable. Go to your peers and seek out advice from those who are experienced in this industry. This scene is not for the faint-hearted. “However, you don’t get diamonds without some pressure, right?” Planter Chin Address: 6a, Jalan Kemuja, 59000 Bangsar Opening hours: Tuesdays- Sundays (10am-5pm)
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 S4 FLORAL arrangement is the art of arranging living or dried flowers to adorn and brighten up one’s space. The history of flower arrangement dates back to ancient Egyptian times as early as 2,500 BCE when flowers were abundant along the Nile. Since ancient history, floral decoration has been tied to public ceremonies, festivals, and religious rituals. Flowers have played an important part in human life, be it celebrations of birth or the start of a courtship, all the way to funerals. Recently, the BUZZ team was invited to May In December’s flower arrangement workshop in the company’s new studio, which is located above a cafe in Petaling Jaya. The owner of the flower business is Shamay Yuen, who goes by May. Ironically, May is a December baby. For her, the month of May signifies springtime, and December marks the end of the seasons with winter. Hence, she named her flower business May In December, a name that “signifies all the seasons of life”. The workshop that we went to was her Signature Jar Workshop, where we’d learn basic floral arranging techniques in their signature medium jar, colour theory, and floral care. To enter her studio, you have to go inside Cream by The Roast Things and walk up the stairs at the back of the cafe. Entering the studio, we saw a large variety of colourful fresh flowers on the open flower bar by the side, labelled with their names on the vases, prepped and ready. We headed over to the standing table, where there were floral scissors and mason jars half-filled with fresh water. Before the start of our workshop, May reminded us to calm ourselves to shake away any nerves. Since the flowers that we’ll be arranging are a creation which is uniquely ours, we should just have fun! The first thing we learnt was that the height of the tallest stem should be approximately 2:1 ratio with the vase. This allows a more balanced look and prevents flowers from toppling over or looking too large for the vases/jars. May advises starting with foliage or branchy stems, as they help become the stable foundation to start and add more bulk to the arrangement. The branchier stems we used were hardy chrysanthemums, and for the foliage, we had Johor and Ruscus leaves. For my arrangement, I was very intuitive with it. I started with yellows because that was what I saw right when I went inside, pairing bright yellow dancing lady orchids, elegant irises, and lanky craspedias, with tiny little ammi majus. I then added some Johor leaves with yellow splotches to match the yellows in the arrangement along with orange ornithogalums and a pasta gerbera. To fit the flowers in the jar, we measured them outside the jar and cut the stems at the desired height. May suggests varying their heights to create depth in the arrangement. oThe BUZZ Team visited May In December to learn basic floral arranging techniques and floral care █ BY MARIETTA MU The BUZZ team’s creation. – THE BUZZ TEAM Free coffee/tea for all workshop goers. – THE BUZZ TEAM Hues of sweet pastels for Spring themed flowers. – MAY IN DECEMBER Vibrant and bright colours for Summer themed flowers. – MAY IN DECEMBER Colour theory-wise, it was a sunny and lightcoloured arrangement, so I contrasted them with a single stalk of purple iris, a stalk of purple and yellow allium, as well as blue oxypetulum. I then added some pinks into the arrangement with a bunch of hardy chrysanthemums and a stalk of Dutch carnation. The design gave me so much joy to see all the beautiful colours coming together, especially since it was a beautiful floral design that we made ourselves. It’s not about using every single type of flower either, because when we compared the team’s design, each arrangement gave off a different vibe, and it really fits our personality. When I thought I was done, May said that I could even add some dried flowers if I wanted to. I looked at the dried flower selection and decided to add some dried light lilac limonium and lavenders to add more purple to the arrangement, and finally completed the design with some preserved white ruscus aculeatus. I also tied a cream-coloured ribbon on the jar to top it off. The workshop allowed us to express our own artistry into a vase (or jar, in this case) that we could bring home. For the aftercare tips, May says to change the water inside the jar every two days and snip the ends off for easier water absorption. Previously, May worked as a nurse in Singapore for seven years. When I asked May why she took the plunge, she told me that ever since she was a young girl, she had always admired how her father brought flowers home for her mother, as well as painted lovely watercolour floral paintings. So growing up surrounded by flowers, May adored the beauty and the symbolism flowers meant to her. In August 2018, after trying her hand out as a florist in Singapore, she decided to return to Malaysia to start her own business. Although her background was in nursing, she continued to utilise her great memory and dexterous skills in floristry. May is very knowledgeable about the different types of flowers and now is The open flower bar. – THE BUZZ TEAM flourishing doing flower arrangements in different themes and moods, and her latest addition is having physical workshops at her new place. Her themed flowers are like the seasons of the year, with spring representing the beginning. For spring, her theme features fresh flowers with hues of sweet pastels, while her summer themes are exuberant, loud, and vibrant. For fall, her flowers feature hues of warm earthy colours with shades of red and orange, while winter boasts a cool range of whites and shades of blue. For everyone who joins her workshop, you also get 10% off all in-store shopping and complimentary coffee/tea from Cream cafe. Currently, dates for her Signature Jar Workshop are released at the end of every month, and you can sign up on her website at mayindecember.com. Shades of whites for Winter themed flowers. – MAY IN DECEMBER
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 S5 The complete beginners gardening guide WONDERING how to start a garden? Well, starting a garden is one of the most satisfying and enjoyable activities possible. Everyone can benefit from getting their hands dirty, regardless of whether they plant beautiful aromatic flowers or vegetables, or perhaps both. Inexperienced gardeners may find it challenging to know where and how to begin. Nonetheless, it does not have to be difficult; by breaking your task into manageable steps, you may garden at your own pace. You will soon be rewarded for your efforts with vibrant flowers, and also delectable flavours. These stages can help you get your garden off the ground, but if you have your own specific vision in mind, a garden plan can help you realise it. Plan your garden Before starting, you should identify yourself with your garden’s location. One of the most common mistakes made by amateur gardeners is designing a space that is impractically huge to maintain. When your first try with a little garden is successful, it is simple to extend it from year to year. Start with a 6 x 8 ft area and develop from there. Choose a place that receives the most amount of sunshine possible. Determine whether the area faces south or north. Knowing where the sun hits the ground and understanding the sort of soil it has can help you select what to grow. Note that you will also need to water your garden. As you will be using either a hose or a watering can, close proximity to water sources is also advantageous. Not having a backyard is not a problem! Many veggies and plants thrive in large pots and containers. Choose a balcony or porch that is bright and sunny, as you will still need plenty of sunlight. Remember, planning is a crucial part of any overall project, not just for gardening, but also for other things. Create garden space After selecting the site, it is time to dig in and clear the ground! Utilise a garden spade or metal pitchfork to dig into the earth and loosen it. Be sure to remove as many stones as possible, as well as all grass and weeds, so that you can start from scratch. Break up any huge clumps of soil so that the roots of your plants Just a little know-how will soon have you reaping gardening rewards. – PEXELS █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL Not only for gardening but also for other things, planning is a crucial part of any overall project. – PEXELS can establish themselves firmly. The use of compost and other organic materials will improve soil quality and increase yields. Pick your plants and supplies Consider their eventual size when choosing plants for your garden, and if you wish to grow vegetables, choose vegetables and herbs that may be used in cooking, such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, basil, sage, and thyme. When planting, it is always a good idea to get a bag of potting soil. Compost and peat moss are available in most garden centres and nurseries. Apply a slow-release, all-purpose fertiliser twice: once during planting, and again during mid-year. This will give sufficient feed for a prosperous harvest. Whether you intend to plant something in the ground or in a flower pot, it is essential to choose plants that thrive in your environment. This includes placing sun-loving plants in a sunny location, selecting heat-tolerant plants in warm climates, and giving ground-eating vines such as pumpkins and melons adequate space or a trellis on which to climb. Do your research and choose the kinds that will thrive in your environment and available space. Another beginner method of starting your garden is to buy young plants, called ‘set plants’ or ‘transplants’, available in almost all nurseries. Dig holes in your prepared bed based on tag instructions. Remove plants from the container by pushing them up from the bottom. If the roots have grown into a big ball, use an old fork or your fingers to untangle some outer roots before setting them into the hole. Pat soil into place around the roots, then soaks the soil with water. Watch ‘em grow Keeping a close check on a vegetable garden is crucial for its success. Observe discolouration, wilting, and insect damage as indicators of disease. As required, support huge plants with stakes and keep air moving around their bottom leaves. To ensure ongoing production, harvest the fruit when ripe. Most importantly, water your vegetables and herbs (in gardens or flower pots) frequently. Since your ideal garden would be in full sun, your plants will require copious amounts of water. In the summer, water every two or three days when the soil is dry one inch below the surface. The simplest approach to determine whether your plants want water is to insert your finger into the soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. Maintain and harvest Help your garden reach its greatest potential by keeping up with garden maintenance as it grows. Before the plants wilt, water them. Remove weeds before they produce seeds. Get rid of unhealthy and decaying vegetation. Eliminate pests by taking them off the plant, or applying insecticidal soap that you can obtain from a nursery shop or nearby store. To obtain the maximum flavour and health advantages of your vegetables and herbs, harvest them when they are ripe, utilise them when fresh or dried as directed, and do not overcook them in recipes. Shamay Yuen. – THE BUZZ TEAM Hues of sweet pastels Warm earthy colours for Fall themed flowers. – MAY IN DECEMBER If you’d like to order flowers from May for your wedding or a loved one, May also does “Uniquely Mayde Cards”, which are personalised, handdrawn, and handwritten cards that you can include in your bouquets. To keep up with May, follow her Instagram @mayindecemberflowers where she updates all her latest collections and you can find her shop located at A-G-01, The Tube, Jalan PJU 1/39 Dataran Prima, 47310, Petaling Jaya, above Cream cafe. Don’t be hesitant to harvest what your garden produces. – PIXABAY Water your vegetables and herbs. – PEXELS
ON FRIDAYJANUARY 27, 2023 ► Contributing Editor: KESHY DHILLON / [email protected] ► Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 / +6012-580 3470 ► To advertise email: [email protected] Joy of restoration IT takes a special kind of person to restore an old car. The patience required will make Buddha proud, and the necessary perseverance is other worldly. But the joy of driving a car that has been rebuilt from scratch cannot be put into words, hence why many classic car lovers swear by the motto, “built not bought”. Though they would have probably bought the car at some point or another, we’ll just let them have it. Take the E23 BMW 7-Series featured here. It looks immaculate and beautifully restored. But what you see here is the result of years of dedication, research and parts sourcing. When it comes to restoring old cars, BMW fans usually clamour around the likes of the E30, E46 or the E39. Rarely do you get a beautifully restored E23, but we’re sure glad that there are people out there who actually take the time and effort to restore one, people like Dipak Madhavan, the owner of the car gracing these pages. The E23 is actually the first ever 7-Series, it was also the first ever BMW to offer ABS brakes, and airbags as an option at least. But in an automotive world that glorifies the likes of the E30, what makes someone want to buy and restorer a not very often seen E23? “I have always wanted the E23 ever since I saw one during a family trip to Cameron Highlands in the early 2000s. “It was in a sorry state but it got my creative juices flowing and I started looking for an E23 as soon as we got back home from that trip,” explains Dipak, a PR and Marketing practitioner and overall BMW fan. He didn’t have to wait long as he managed to source one in Klang from a BMW collector who just happened to have an “extra” E23 from the year 1982. Fourty-year-old BMW 7-Series meticulously rebuilt to near original condition █ KESHY DHILLON The interior of this E23 may seem simplistic but it has all the controls of a modern car and an impressive build quality. Cigarette lighter among rear airconditioning panels is such an 80s hallmark. The car first came with a 2.5-litre engine, but this was later replaced with the original 3.5-litre engine. Beautifully restored to near original condition, this E23 was bought in 2011 and lovingly kept.
The photos probably do not do justice to the uninitiated, but the E23 7-Series was c o n s i d e r e d revolutionary for its time. It may have been built as a response to the MercedesBenz S-Class, but the E23 came with such features as an Oil Service indicator and even a computerised panel that indicated which light bulb needed to be swapped. These things are taken for granted and the car could be considered basic by today’s standards, but these technologies were considered ahead of its time back in the 80s. But it was not the technology but rather the design of the car that has come to characterise automobiles of that era. And for the E23, it is that iconic shark nose that distinguishes the car. First introduced in 1976 by the E24 BMW 6- Series, the shark nose became an iconic design element that found its way into other models. However, none have a more pronounced nose than the E23. Dipak explains that BMW models of the early 80s had the most distinguished shark nose. “Every model after this had a toned down nose. BMW engineers probably realised that the nose was protruding a little too much and it would be the first body panel to hit a wall rather than the bumper when parking, so every model since the E23 had a toned down nose until it simply d i s a p p e a r e d into the BMW achieves”. As for the engine, the emblems may say 735i which indicate a 3.5-litre engine, but there is no classic car rebuild story that is complete without the engine needing a rebuild or an entirely new engine. And the latter is exactly what happened with Dipak’s car. “When I got the car, it came with a 2.5-litre engine, I am guessing the former owner swapped out the original engine for a smaller one due to road tax reasons. “So when I got it, I sourced a period correct 3.5-litre straight-six cylinder engine from a 6- Series.” “That engine though ended up blowing up at speeds that I cannot mention, but rather than swapping it out again, I chose to rebuild it. “I chose to take the more difficult step mainly due to the history of the engine. “I knew it was a good engine and if I did look for a new one, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t blow again,” explains Dipak about his choice of engine. The drama took place at highway speed when the crankshaft bearings came apart and wreaked havoc on the pistons. So the rebuild process was long and difficult but it ultimately gave Dipak a car that essentially runs as good as new. The interior though is one that feels spacious and comfortable even for a car that is 40 years old. But as with any classic car that is driven often, it does show its age. However the emergency medical kit that is placed inside the rear centre arm rest is still untouched. Every bandage, every gauze and even the medical scissors is still in their original packing, and that is an element Dipak is particularly proud of. But Dipak says that maintaining the car and sourcing for parts isn’t all too difficult because there’s an entire global community that helps source for parts. That makes the E23 BMW 7-Series a great car to start off a restoration journey, the fact that parts are fairly easy to source and that some parts for cars of this era are interchangeable among different models. “If you have always wanted to start working on restoring a classic car, I would say just do it. The cars are not getting any younger and values are going up,” says Dipak as a final piece of advice to would be restorers. 7 JANUARY 27, 2023 Interior trimmings are original and the seats are still impressively comfortable. BMWs were legendary for the twin headlights nestled into the front grille.
HYUNDAI’S largest model – the Palisade – arrived in Malaysia in December 2021, three years after it made its global debut. Just three months later, in New York, the updated version was unveiled but Malaysia continued with the pre-facelift model throughout 2022. Hyundai Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has now begun importing the updated version with four variants to choose from. There are two choices of powertrains (petrol and diesel) and two equipment levels – Executive and Luxury. For the Palisades with Executive spec, there are 8 seats while the Luxury spec comes with 7 seats. Pricing without insurance is as follows: Palisade Executive Diesel – RM368,888; Palisade Luxury Diesel – RM389,888; Palisade Executive Petrol – RM378,888; and Palisade Luxury Petrol – RM399,888. Cosmetic changes bring the looks of the Palisade in line with the latest design language with the widened cascading patterned grille that is referred to as a “Parametric Jewel”. Hyundai’s designers have chosen “parametric” to define their design language which relates to pixels, although the technical meaning of the term is really something else. The frameless black grille is flanked by three different types of lighting elements. The most distinctive elements are the LED daytime running lights which are vertical, creating a distinct visual signature for the model. The LED lights at the rear also follow the vertical theme while the skidplate has a more robust look to strengthen the SUV image. The two powertrain choices are the same as before – a 3.8-litre Lambda II GDI V6 petrol engine with 295ps/355Nm output, and a 2.2-litre R CRDi 4-cylinder turbodiesel with 200ps/440Nm. Both engines use an 8-speed eshift automatic transmission but with the petrol engine, drive is only to the front wheels while the turbodiesel has all-wheel drive. While both powertrains have 4 driver-selectable drive, the turbodiesel’s HTRAC AWD system also has additional modes to optimise traction on difficult terrain like mud and sand. The driver can select these modes on a rotary dial while on the move and power distribution will be varied between the wheels to maximise grip. The difference between the 8- seater and 7-seater is in the second row where the middle seat is present or not, so it’s a 2-2-3 layout for the latter and 2-3-3 for the latter. This being a midcycle update, the layout of the dashboard is unchanged with a slim display panel stretching from the middle to merge with the instrument panel. Connectivity is important nowadays and Hyundai has made sure to provide numerous options to cater for all types of devices. The Palisade has a comprehensive set of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) which use radar, sonar and a camera to scan all around the vehicle. Years back, when HSDM tried to sell the large Genesis sedan, there was no interest. Apart from its high price, it also stood no chance against the European models. But the Palisade has found a number of buyers in the past year and with its high quality and extensive features, it is an appealing alternative for those who want a large SUV. 8 JANUARY 27, 2023 Jewel in the crown Updated Hyundai Palisade goes on sale with four variants The ultimate Aston Martin IN its 110th anniversary year, Aston Martin WILL present the superlative-laden DBS 770 Ultimate, a DBS model that surpasses all others by being the most powerful production Aston Martin ever. To be limited to 499 units – 300 Coupes and 199 Volantes – the DBS 770 Ultimate marks the end of production of the current DBS which has a history going back to 1967. As its name suggests, it will be the “ultimate”, with extensive design and engineering enhancements. And like all Aston Martins, the scope for true one-of-a-kind personal specification is virtually limitless with a diverse range of bespoke options that Q by Aston Martin provides. These include Q liveries with assorted graphics options, painted wheels to match body or graphics colours, tinted carbonfibre and woven leather seat inserts, trim inlays and a carbonfibre steering wheel. The Aston Martin quad-cam 60-degree 5.2- litre V12 engine has been retuned to boost power output to 770ps at 6,500rpm and 900Nm from 1,800rpm to 5,000rpm. The boost also comes from modified air and ignition pathways together with a 7% increase in maximum turbocharger pressure. Precise tuning of power and torque curves gives the driver exceptional response, outstanding in-gear acceleration and the authentic V12 soundtrack with a maximum speed of 340kph. Power flows through a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and mechanical Limited-Slip Differential mounted at the rear of the car. In addition, the DBS 770 Ultimate has a unique transmission calibration to enhance shift speeds and driver interaction, contributing to a truly connected driving experience. LONG before there were premium and luxury SUVs, there was the Range Rover. Flagship of the Land Rover range when it was launched in 1970, the Range Rover would be the choice of the rich and famous and be the benchmark for 4×4 vehicles as it was always a technological leader. And even when the luxury carmakers began to offer their SUVs, the Range Rover still held its position high in the segment. Now, five decades later, the fifth generation has come out and as before, it comes with refinement and innovations that are in tune with the world of today. Progressively introduced in various markets over the past year, the new Range Rover (L460) will be introduced in Malaysia in mid-February. While the new Range Rover has been developed with electrification in mind (a battery electric variant is expected next year), Land Rover continues to also offer powertrains with just petrol and diesel engines. Given how Land Rover’s vehicles are able to go very far away from civilisation, relying on a battery pack that needs recharging would be impractical. Hence the availability of combustion engines at least in the medium term. For the Malaysian market, JLRM will import the new Range Rover with a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 P530 petrol engine. The new Range Rover is the first Land Rover to be powered by this engine which develops 530ps/750Nm. It will deliver power through an 8-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels via the intelligent All-Wheel Drive system with optimisation by the Terrain Response 2 system. The new Range Rover also has All-Wheel Steering, made possible by the electrically operated rear axle. This capability provides more effortless drive with heightened highspeed stability and improved manoeuvrability at low speeds, especially in tight urban streets. Apart from the advanced technologies that give the go-anywhere capabilities, it will also come with a High Specification Equipment that befits a flagship model. While supreme comfort is assured, personal wellbeing has also been given attention by Land Rover. Full details of pricing and specifications will only be available at a later date. If you register your interest at a Land Rover showroom, you’ll be able to get the information as soon as it is announced. Range Rover 5th Generation to be launched soon Mansory creates a 2-door Urus THE Lamborghini Urus super SUV has been a success for the sportscar maker right from the time it went on sale in 2018. Within the first four years, 20,000 units were sold, making it the company’s best-selling model in the shortest time ever. Last year, of the 9,322 vehicles Lamborghini delivered worldwide, 5,367 of them were the Urus. For most people, owning an Urus (which presently has an 18-month waiting list) is already something special. But there will be some who still want their luxury SUV to be more unique and are willing to pay the extra money for personalisation. Mansory, the specialist customisation company in Germany, has been offering complete conversions of the Urus which is one of the more popular models it works on. Now it has embarked on a project to produce a very special Urus which has 2 doors instead of the four in the production model. Not only will this model – called the Venatus Coupe EVO C – be uniquely different – but only 8 units will be available for purchase. To convert the base model from a 4-door bodyshell to a 2-door configuration, extensive body modifications have to be made. “The Venatus Coupe EVO C not only sets new standards in terms of its design, but with the transformation of a standard 4-door vehicle into a 2-door coupe, we can once again impressively demonstrate our high level of competence in the field of body construction,” said Kourosh Mansory, CEO and founder of Mansory Design and Holding.
KLCI 1,498.39 STI 3,377.19 24.42 HANG SENG 22,566.78 522.13 SCI NIKKEI 27,362.75 32.26 TSEC 40.08 KOSPI 2,468.65 CLOSED S&P/ASX200 FRIDAY JANUARY 27, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] 5 MOST ACTIVES January 26, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) ATAIMS 190,867,900 39.5 +10.0 VELESTO 131,442,400 22.5 +0.5 CYPARK 87,788,500 96.0 +12.0 MYEG-C4D 85,100,800 9.5 -1.5 SAPNRG 83,804,500 5.0 UNCH EXCHANGERATES JANUARY 26, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.3240 4.1850 4.1750 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0890 2.9630 2.9470 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.2910 3.1910 3.1830 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.2230 3.1330 3.1210 1 EURO 4.7260 4.5670 4.5470 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8120 2.7060 2.6900 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.2910 3.1910 3.1830 1 STERLING POUND 5.3720 5.1950 5.1750 1 SWISS FRANC 4.6980 4.5830 4.5680 100 UAE DIRHAM 119.0300 112.7200 112.5200 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.2000 3.8860 3.6860 100 CHINESE RENMINBI N/A N/A N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 55.7800 52.9400 52.7400 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.3900 5.0500 4.8500 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0299 0.0270 0.0220 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3490 3.2390 3.2290 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.9000 1.7800 1.5800 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.0400 7.5600 7.3600 100 QATAR RIYAL 119.5000 113.4400 113.2400 100 SAUDI RIYAL 116.3100 110.4100 110.2100 100 SOUTH AFRICA RAND 26.1700 23.6200 23.4200 100 THAI BAHT 13.7900 12.2100 11.8100 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY January 26, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,880.90 +12.12 FBMKLCI 1,498.39 -1.06 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 601.44 -1.44 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 190.55 +0.70 CONSTRUCTION 159.70 -0.10 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,503.70 -38.20 ENERGY 870.64 +0.21 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 598.09 +1.62 HEALTH CARE 1,709.21 +20.40 TRANSPORTATION 951.12 +22.52 PROPERTY 675.13 +3.91 PLANTATION 6,843.61 +24.65 FBMSHA 11,149.10 +37.17 FBMACE 5,687.59 +59.49 TECHNOLOGY 68.01 -0.09 TURNOVER VALUE 3.751 BIL RM2.029 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS January 26, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEXTECH 346,000 27.48 +3.16 KLK 446,200 21.56 +0.28 MPI 56,800 34.00 +0.28 HSI-CL4 185,000 0.765 +0.235 F&N 408,400 24.08 +0.18 5 TOP LOSERS January 26, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEIM 1,437,800 26.68 -1.16 PETDAG 141,200 22.70 -0.30 CARLSBG 162,300 23.18 -0.26 HSI-HKA 8,787,800 0.11 -0.215 AJI 51,800 14.00 -0.16 CLOSED CLOSED 1.06 Intellectual Property Filing Fund 2.0 worth RM2m launched PUTRAJAYA: The Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) yesterday launched the Intellectual Property Filing Fund 2.0 amounting to RM2 million to benefit 2,000 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs . Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the facility covers the filing fees for all intellectual property components, including costs for works that require professional and technical services such as patent drafting. Through the fund, the government will also cover the cost of filing trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs, he said. “It is hoped that this fund can ease the burden of local entrepreneurs and increase their competitiveness through the protection of intellectual properties, thus stimulating the country’s economy,” he said in his speech when launching the fund. MyIPO initially offered the same fund amounting to RM2.5 million from 2016 to 2020, which benefited 1,465 entrepreneurs. Salahuddin said the fund distribution would depend on the type of services required by entrepreneurs, and applications can be made online through the website https://tinyurl.com/DanaIP2bagiTahun2023 or manually by visiting the nearest MyIPO branch. Speaking to reporters later, he touched on the situation of art activists, especially veteran artistes who did not register their works and had to suffer losses because they did not get to enjoy the royalties. – Bernama ‘No need to raise national statutory debt ceiling’ KUALA LUMPUR: There is currently no need to increase the national statutory debt ceiling to more than 65% of the gross domestic product (GDP), said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan. He said the government had already raised the statutory debt limit twice, from 55% to 60% of the GDP during the Covid-19 crisis, and raised it again to 65% last year. “The government’s debt is currently at RM1.5 trillion, including contingent liability, but the actual debt is at RM1.2 trillion, which is about 61% of the GDP,” he said to reporters after the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Malaysian Small Entrepreneurs Chamber of Commerce and Uniti Asia Group of Business yesterday. The MoU was signed in recognition of entrepreneurs who constantly strive to realise the goal of a borderless business world. Ahmad said the collaboration also aims to enhance the image of micro, small and oAhmad Maslan points out that govt already increased the limit twice – from 55% to 60% of GDP during the Covid-19 crisis, and again to 65% last year Malaysia maintains stellar trade performance KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade, exports, imports and trade surplus in 2022 maintained their stellar performance despite the challenging global environment and according to Matrade CEO Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz it showed that the Malaysian business community remained resilient following robust global demand and high commodity prices. Last year, Malaysia’s trade reached RM2.8 trillion, crossing the RM2 trillion mark for the second successive year. Export performance expanded by 25%, to RM1.6 trillion, surpassing RM1.5 trillion mark for the first time. “I am glad to share that our exports also exceeded the projection in the 12th Malaysia Plan for 2025, three years ahead of the target. Imports, meanwhile, breached the RM1 trillion mark for the first time, reaching nearly RM1.3 trillion in 2022,” he added. He said that as a prominent global trading nation, Malaysia exports high value and competitive range of products to over 200 international markets. This affirms Malaysia’s position as a reliable trading partner, accessing new and emerging markets through various trade agreements at the regional and bilateral levels. In 2022, Malaysia’s top 10 export destinations contributed 87.7% share of total exports. “Leveraging on the outstanding trade performance, Matrade as the national trade promotion agency, is determined to strive further to nurture and grow more Malaysian Matrade’s commitment in enhancing Malaysia’s exports will continue under the three main export agendas namely digitalisation, sustainability and the National Trade Blueprint. – BERNAMAPIX medium enterprises (MSME) through the pursuit of business opportunities in the Asian region and carrying out business activities as well as providing marketing information. On another note, he said Budget 2023 will also look into the well-being of MSME and SME as they are the driving force for the nation’s economy. “We will continue organising focus groups to get more views from associations, companies and relevant government agencies through a series of budget dialogues,” he said. Ahmad added that starting yesterday until Feb 10, he will be chairing 18 budget dialogues covering various topics including youth development, food security and inclusive rural development. “Based on these dialogues, the officers from the budget department will summarise the views which will be included in Budget 2023. “As mentioned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the highlights of the budget presentation presented by the previous finance minister will be partially included, but of course, there are new things, such as the Malaysia Madani concept,” he said. – Bernama entrepreneurs to venture into exports. Matrade has been the main focal point in facilitating Malaysian exporters, ministries, agencies, chambers and associations by connecting them with foreign buyers,” said Mohd Mustafa. He added Matrade’s commitment in enhancing Malaysia’s exports will continue under the three main export agendas namely digitalisation, sustainability and the National Trade Blueprint. Under the digitalisation initiative, Matrade has adopted various approaches to ensure business continuity by enhancing export knowledge through the sharing of market intelligence and insights, business matching activities, trade facilitation and export promotion. For instance, exporters registered with Matrade have access to real-time information shared by its 46 global offices through the MyExport portal. Matrade achieved another milestone in its digitalisation agenda, as 17th edition of MIHAS in 2021 received international recognition by the World Trade Promotion Organisation award under the Best Use of Information Technology category. Participation 47.5 31.7 20.7 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 956.9 651.9 420.5 2029.3 Sold RM m 970.9 637.3 421.1 2029.3 Net RM m -14.0 14.6 -0.6 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 26/01/2023
10 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 SUNBIZ PETALING JAYA: MBSB Bank Bhd yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CelcomDigi as part of its continuous digitalisation journey to futureproof its banking operations and enrich customers’ experiences. This maiden partnership between the Islamic bank and the country’s largest telecommunications company will support MBSB Bank to continue serving its customers better and at the same time, enhance its operational efficiency. Under this partnership, MBSB Bank and CelcomDigi will explore opportunities in end-to-end smart banking solutions that include comprehensive services for cyber security, smart retail solutions financing, and cloud infrastructure technology, amongst others. Additionally, both companies intend to collaborate on finding new commercial opportunities and joint go-to-market activities that will benefit their customers and employees. The MoU was signed between MBSB Bank’s Group CEO Datuk Nor Azam M. Taib and CelcomDigi’s CEO Datuk Mohamad Idham Nawawi at a ceremony held at CelcomDigi Tower in Petaling Jaya. Expressing his optimism on this development, Nor Azam said, “Partnering with CelcomDigi is certainly a key milestone especially in an industry like ours which has become increasingly competitive due to technological advances, hence it is our hope that working strategically with a market leader can accelerate our progress in that space.” He added that they plan to establish industrial IoT solutions as part of the business financing, focusing on green tech adoption, automation and quality assurance besides leveraging on cloud technology to advance digital capabilities as this will help to increase competitiveness level. Meanwhile, Mohamad Idham said, “We are excited to be MBSB Bank’s trusted digital partner to support their digitalisation needs. We believe we have the right expertise and resources that will help advance MBSB Bank’s digital capabilities, as the bank progresses in leveraging technology to bring enhanced products, services, and experiences for its customers. We look forward to unlocking more value from our synergies, as we innovate together while supporting the nation’s digital agenda.” Nor Azam (left) and Mohamad Idham presenting the Banking Digitalisation and Smart Infrastructure Solutions MoU in Petaling Jaya yesterday. MBSB Bank gets CelcomDigi on board to enhance digitalisation journey Socar gears up for further growth this year KUALA LUMPUR: Socar – Malaysia’s No. 1 car-rental app – is confident about its growth prospects in 2023, strengthened by promising numbers achieved in 2022, when Malaysians increasingly embraced the sustainable mobility solutions that it offered. Amidst bearish trends in the global economy and local political uncertainty, even as Malaysia relaxed travel restrictions, Socar’s service offerings proved appealing to drivers, enabling the company to record healthy growth in 2022. Socar Mobility Malaysia CEO Shylendra Nathan said, “At a time when many among the public are re-evaluating their financial commitments, Socar offers drivers a convenient way to access a range of car models to suit their needs on demand while providing the possibility of living car-free the rest of the time. Carsharing also offers another sustainable mode of mobility that reduces the number of private cars on our roads, complementing other means such as public transportation and e-hailing.” Since travel restrictions were lifted, Socar has recorded robust month-onmonth growth, with a 60% increase in users, from 5,000 during the Conditional Movement Control Order period, to over 20,000 when travel restrictions were lifted, indicating a demand for mobility options and the relevance of car-sharing as a choice for drivers. Support services that improve the experience, such as the Socar-2-You delivery and pickup services also saw a rise in demand. The new 24-hour pickup only service, introduced in December 2022 is the latest in Socar’s range of services designed to elevate the end-toend shared mobility experience for users. To cater to a growing customer base, Socar expanded the range of car models in its fleet to more than 40 including compact, sedan, hatchback, SUV and MPV options to suit a variety of lifestyles and use cases. Another key expansion was the arrival of Socar in Kota Kinabalu, joining existing locations in the Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Seremban, Malacca and Johor Baru. Meanwhile, in line with Socar’s aim to enhance sustainable mobility, the company entered into a strategic partnership with Bosch to maintain both customer satisfaction and the good condition of its cars by implementing Bosch’s 3S IoT system featuring sensors, software and services. oCar rental app operator says more Malaysians embracing mobility options and vehicle-sharing To further cater to a growing customer base, SOCAR has expanded its range of car models that include compact, sedan, hatchback, SUV and MPV to suit a variety of usage. Research houses maintain ‘buy’ calls on SunCon KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Investment Bank Bhd (RHB IB) has maintained its “buy” call on Sunway Construction Group Bhd (SunCon) on expectations that its fourth-quarter 2022 (Q4 2022) core net profit would increase by 30-50% quarter-on-quarter to RM35-40 million. In a note yesterday, the investment bank said this would translate to financial year 2022 (FY2022) earnings growth of more than 20%, adding that the company’s performance will be backed by improved labour supply and operating conditions. “Aside from venturing into data centres that are gaining traction, further earnings upside may come if SunCon takes on the engineering, procurement and construction contractor job for a power plant in Vietnam, which has an effective contract value of RM6 billion,” it said. On the company’s outlook, the bank considers SunCon’s move to bid for data centre or industrial-related jobs to be strategic. “Such a move may mitigate the risk of slow job replenishments from public infrastructure projects such as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT3) that may likely be subject to cost review. “For context, 8% of SunCon’s outstanding order book came from infrastructure/piling jobs as of end-September 2022 versus more than 40% as of end-December 2018,” it said. RHB IB also estimated SunCon’s outstanding order book at RM5.5-6 billion after taking into account the RM1.7 billion job win in December 2022 for the data centre in Johor, and retained the company’s yearly new job win target of RM2.5 billion for FY2023- FY2024. Meanwhile, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) said SunCon is on target to achieve RM2 billion contract replenishment in FY2023. “This could rise to RM8 billion in a bull case scenario, augmented by the Vietnam power plant job. “There is further upside should the company prove successful in its Tier 1 MRT3 bids,” it said. HLIB said that FY2023 will be an important year, execution-wise, as this could unlock further data centre jobs with opportunities on an uptrend, and increased its FY2023 earnings forecast for SunCon by 10% but cut its FY2024 earnings forecast by 7.3%, adjusting the burn rate for the data centre project. Both RHB IB and HLIB have maintained their ‘buy’ calls on SunCon, with a target price of RM2.07 and RM1.94, respectively. – Bernama Petronas, SEDC Energy explore sustainable aviation fuel production KUCHING: Petronas Research Sdn Bhd (PRSB), a subsidiary of Petronas, and SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), have signed an agreement to develop technology for microalgae oil production. Under the agreement, PRSB and SEDC Energy will jointly develop algae production technology which includes cultivation, harvesting and extraction of crude algae oil, that will later be refined to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Both parties will also deep dive into the commercial production requirements for crude algae oil, including developing algae strains with high oil content at a competitive production cost. The signatories to the agreement, signed in Kuching on Jan 20 were PRSB CEO Norhayati Hashim and SEDC Energy CEO Robert Hardin. SEDC chairman Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Husain said, “Aside from the development of Sarawak’s Hydrogen Economy, we acknowledge the significance of alternative low carbon initiatives as the world transitions from conventional hydrocarbon fuels. It has been Sarawak’s interest to explore as many solutions as possible to mitigate carbon emissions and the collaboration with Petronas in the development of next generation renewable oil can potentially be a gamechanger.” Petronas senior vice-president of project delivery and technology Datuk Bacho Pilong said, “We believe crude algae oil has the potential to support Petronas’ Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 aspiration, and we welcome collaborations with like-minded partners like SEDC who share our vision. We also look forward to playing our role in realising the state’s sustainability goals.”
11 * SUNBIZ @thesundaily theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Malaysian firms to make presence felt at Arab healthcare expo KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) is intensifying efforts to promote exports of Malaysian medical devices and healthcare services globally. To create export opportunities for Malaysian medical devices and healthcare services in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, Matrade is spearheading the participation of Malaysian companies at Arab Health 2023 in Dubai from Jan 30 to Feb 2. This year marks Matrade’s 19th year of participation in this iconic event. Matrade is organising the participation of 10 Malaysian medical devices and pharmaceutical companies at Arab Health 2023 – KPJ Healthcare, UEM Edgenta, Ain Medicare, XepaSoul Pattinson (Malaysia), Ming Medical, Muzamal Industries, Timo International, TPE Healthcare, TUD, and Twin Catalyst. Various high-value products and services from Malaysia will be promoted to over 50,000 global visitors expected at the event including medical consumables, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and wellness products and services. According to Matrade lifestyle and life sciences director Razida Hanim Abdul Razak, Matrade’s first participation at Arab Health was in 2005 under the National Pavilion. The exhibition continues to offer Malaysian companies a platform to connect with hundreds of local and international suppliers and buyers in different product categories, build connections and keep up with new technological trends and innovations in the industry, she said. Razida Hanim said the Arab Health exhibition is in its 48th edition this year and its stature as the premier healthcare trade platform is undisputed for many exhibitors. The exhibition has moved beyond the regional perspective and now attracts global trade visitors. “Observing current trends, we anticipate that there will be steady global demand for Malaysian quality healthcare products for 2023 while the Mena region offers high potential exports opportunities for Malaysia. Overall, demand for healthcare-related products and services in Mena is expected to reach RM33.31 billion (US$7.92 billion) in 2025,” said Razida. In 2022, the top-five export destinations for Malaysian medical devices in the Mena region were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Morocco. B R I E F SRESERVOIR LINK UNIT BAGS RM11.4M DEAL FOR SOLAR PLANT MOUNTING SYSTEM KUALA LUMPUR: Reservoir Link Energy Bhd, an energy-related services provider, announced that its 51% owned subsidiary Founder Energy Sdn Bhd, has received a purchase order from Fabulous Sunview Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunview Group Bhd, for the supply of mounting structure for a large-scale solar photovoltaic plant development located in Malaysia. The project is valued at RM11.4 million. Reservoir Link will supply a solar mounting system which is expected to be delivered between January and April 2023 to the project location. INFLUENCERS AIM TO REMAIN RESILIENT, ENHANCE NICHE IN ONLINE SELLING: SHOPEE STUDY KUALA LUMPUR: Shopee’s recent study – “Past the Starting Line: Adapting to Malaysia’s Digital Consumers in 2023 – has found that 82% of Malaysian influencers are excited about staying resilient and relevant in e-commerce. Of the 940 local influencers surveyed last month, 60% had been with the platform for less than a year. This year, twothirds of influencers are focused on strengthening their niche as part of their personality and connecting with valuebased shoppers through transparency. Shopee’s influencers plan to produce more genuine and authentic content across live formats to be more relatable to their followers. MSME-focused startup WhyQ secures RM4.6m additional funding KUALA LUMPUR: WhyQ, a digital innovation startup focused on helping micro SMEs (MSME) digitalise their business, has secured an additional RM4.6 million in an extension to their Series A2 funding round. The extended round was led by Kairos FoodTech Fund of Kairos Capital Group, which has previously invested in Good Meat, Roslin Technologies and Mission Barns. The initial Series A2 round of RM11.8 million closed in 2021 and included Delivery Hero, Chope, Angel Central, and RB Investments. With this additional funding from the extended Series A2 Round, they plan to continue expanding their digitalisation platform and supporting the growth of small businesses in Singapore and Malaysia. WhyQ will focus on improving their existing products and developing new ones to help small businesses better compete in the digital economy. WhyQ CEO and Co-founder Varun Saraf said, “Collaborating closely with hawkers in Singapore for the past five years has allowed us to understand the challenges that small business owners face when it comes to digitalisation. Leveraging on our experience partnering with small-scale F&B owneroperators like hawkers, we would like to extend our expertise to now help small business owners in Malaysia to digitalise properly, with simple and free products. “With key backers and partners such as Kairos, Delivery Hero, Ant Group, Chope, we are in a strong position to lead in the region.” WhyQ currently powers over 20,000 small businesses in Singapore and Malaysia by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in the digital world. WhyQ offers two free products: an eBiz app (WhyQ EBiz) and a digital bookkeeping app (WhyQ Kira Kira). WhyQ COO and co-Founder Rishabh Singhvi said, “In Malaysia, small businesses play a crucial role in both the economy and culture. However, they often struggle to find products that cater to their specific needs. This problem has intensified since the pandemic, making it more important than ever for small businesses to adapt to the online world of commerce. “WhyQ is dedicated to helping merchants do just that, and we are already one of the market leaders in Malaysia. We are closing the digital gap for tens of thousands of merchants and paving the way for a more comprehensive and accessible digital infrastructure.” The cross-market WhyQ team servicing both Singapore and Malaysia. Roundtable on Malaysia’s future in digital economy KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will host a roundtable on “Designing the Future of the Digital Economy” on Feb 23, a culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled “The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy” held in 2022. According to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the digital economy is contributing 22.6% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), with a projected growth to 25.5% by 2025. This level of contribution has made it imperative for the MGBF to bring together high-level speakers at the roundtable to explore ways to chart the way forward for Malaysia’s digital economy. Among the objectives of the coming MGBF roundtable is to position Malaysia in Southeast Asia’s digital economy, which was estimated to be valued at US$200 billion (RM853 billion) in gross merchandise value (GMV) at the end of last year. Malaysia is an investment destination for those expanding their market share in the digital economy, which will increase trade oParticipants to chart way forward, position country in region’s cyber tech landscape and business opportunities emanating from Malaysia. Multilateral and bilateral trade agreements have set the tone for this to become a reality. MGBF’s founding chairman, Nordin Abdullah, said: “Now is the opportunity to create a competitive edge through a businessled approach, empowered with the right policies and programmes implemented by the new administration. The recent pandemic was a catalyst for rapid digitisation. The data shows that trend has continued in Malaysia’s services sector. We will use the upcoming forum to release additional data via the ‘Digital Economy and Innovation Report 2023’.” He added, “With the rise of AI assistance such as ChatGPT, the future has been brought into our daily work lives. This is a natural evolution of the digital economy that not only needs to be managed, but understood in a way that drives productivity. This will be the only way that high-value jobs can be created and maintained in a future-facing economy.” According to the the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Outlook report, global geopolitical instability has helped to close the perception gap between business and cyber leaders’ views on the importance of cyber-risk management, with 91% of all respondents believing that a farreaching, catastrophic cyber event is at least somewhat likely in the next two years. Following from this, 43% of organisational leaders think it is likely that in the next two years, a cyberattack will materially affect their own organisation, which means enterprises are devoting more resources to day-to-day defences than strategic investment. Novem CS Sdn Bhd CEO Murugason R. Thangaratnam, who will address the forum, said: “The direction is clear, Malaysia will expand its economy to become increasingly digital. As the contribution to GDP increases so too does the value of targets to cyber criminals. The stakes have never been higher for the corporate sector looking to build empires on digital, data or innovation.” “Novem’s internal research has shown that corporations spend between 10 and 100 times more post-cyber incident than what they would have spent if they had implemented a simple cyber-resilient infrastructure with the requisite human capital development. Organisations have to realise that they need to strike a balance to avoid being too tech centric, by taking a holistic approach in securing the people, processes and governance framework to remain cyber resilient,” he added. The full-day event will delve into four strategic areas: Addressing Cyber Threats to Develop an Investor-Friendly Country; The Corporate Nexus and The Total Media Ecosystem; Strategic Opportunities in the Data-Driven Digital Economy; and The Digital Economy and Building an Equitable Future. The keynote session will expand on the critical requirements of government strategy and future-facing policies for the digital economy.
12 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 SUNBIZ Or download app on the AppStore or Google Play ENJOY A SEAMLESS READING EXPERIENCE. Read our iPaper at https://www.thesundaily.my/ READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME S. Korea vows support for exporters as economy shrinks SEOUL: South Korea’s government promised strong support for exporters after the country yesterday posted its first economic contraction in 2½ years, due mainly to a crash in exports, and faced a possibility it was in recession. Playing down the economic slowdown as part of a global trend and saying a return to growth in the current quarter “is possible”, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho pledged prompt support measures for exporters, such as tax breaks and administrative help. Central bank estimates showed gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.4% in the October-December period from the previous quarter. Economists in a Reuters poll had expected a 0.3% fall. Still the economy grew 1.4% onyear in the quarter and 2.6% for the oGDP falls 0.4% in October-December period from previous quarter, first contraction since Q2’20 whole of 2022. “The government will focus policy resources on reactivating exports and investment, such as pushing ahead with deregulation efforts and offering tax and financial support,” Choo said at a meeting of officials that was open to reporters. Leading the first GDP decline since the second quarter of 2020 were losses of 5.8% in exports and 0.4% in private consumption, whereas government spending posted a sharp 3.2% increase, according to the central bank’s estimates, which were seasonally adjusted. There are signs of continued weakness in the first quarter. A slump in the property market has deepened and exports per working day were 8.8% lower in January 1-20 than a year earlier. Economists usually define a recession as two or more successive quarters of contraction. If first-quarter GDP is eventually reported as falling, a South Korean recession will be judged to have begun almost four months ago. The economy was last in recession in the first half of 2020. Bank of Korea governor Rhee Chang-yong said on Jan 13 it was too early to judge whether the country was falling into recession. Markets showed a muted reaction to yesterday’s GDP data, since it was close to expectations. Still, the result cemented the market’s view that the central bank’s Jan 13 interest rate rise had marked the end of a 17-month tightening cycle and that the Bank of Korea would even be pressured to start cutting its policy rate this year. Consumer inflation, which hit 5% in December, continues to be a major concern for the Bank of Korea. For 2023, the central bank has estimated that the country’s economy will grow around 1.7%, and inflation will be around 3.6%. – Reuters, AFP Philippines’ 2022 GDP growth fastest in over 40 years MANILA: The Philippine economy ended 2022 with the fastest growth in over four decades underpinned by a robust final quarter, but analysts and policymakers warn that a global slowdown and soaring inflation will make for a difficult year ahead. Manila’s fourth quarter forecastbeating annual growth of 7.2% reported by the statistics agency compared with the 6.5% pace expected in a Reuters poll, and brought full-year expansion to 7.6%, the fastest since 1976 and above the government’s target of 6.5% to 7.5%. Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan attributed the stellar fourth-quarter performance to strong domestic demand, rise in jobs, and “revenge” spending following the lifting of pandemic curbs and full reopening in the last three months of the year. “We are confident that we will remain in our high growth trajectory,” Baliscan told a media briefing yesterday. He said China’s reopening will be a boon for the Philippine economy, while protecting the purchasing power of Filipinos and ensuring food security would remain priorities for the government as the public grapples with high inflation. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP growth came in at 2.4% in October-December, compared with expectations for a 1.5% rise and the previous quarter’s upwardly revised 3.3% expansion. Balisacan said the government was sticking with its 6.0-7.0% growth target for 2023, but that is not without risks, with the global economy expected to slow further this year roiled by the Ukraine conflict while rising inflation could lead to further monetary policy tightening. Like the rest of the world, the Philippines is battling red-hot inflation, currently running at 14- year highs, which if not tamed could crimp domestic consumption, a major driver of growth. “We expect a difficult year ahead for the Philippines,” Capital Economics said in a note, citing the impact of high inflation and tighter monetary policy on domestic spending. For 2023, Capital Economics is expecting growth of 5.5%. – Reuters Lexus chief to take over Toyota as founder’s grandson steps down TOKYO: The chief executive of Toyota Motor Corp will step down as head of the company his grandfather founded, the Japanese automaker said yesterday, handing over to the boss of its luxury car unit as it struggles to meet the shift to electric vehicles. Koji Sato, the automaker’s 53-yearold chief branding officer, who is also president of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, will take over as chief executive from April 1, the company said, as Akio Toyoda becomes chairman. The current chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada will drop his chairman title but remain on the board. The issue of who would take over from Toyoda, the 66-year-old grandson of the company’s founder, had increasingly been a focus for investors. But the timing of the succession announcement was a surprise. Under Toyoda, the automaker has followed a go-slow approach to electric vehicles, arguing that the hybrid technology it pioneered with the Prius will remain important along with investments in hydrogen. That approach has prompted criticism from investors and activists who once widely praised its technology and environmental record. Toyoda said Sato’s mission would be to transform Toyota into a “mobility company”. Sato said Toyoda had offered him the CEO job at the end of the year when both were in Thailand for an event to celebrate Toyota’s 60th anniversary of operations there. “Can you be the CEO?” Sato said Toyoda asked him. “I didn’t know how to respond,” Sato said. “I thought it was a joke.” The succession announcement was broadcast on a webcast through the automaker’s Toyota Times channel in a way that looked more like a talk show with a host than a formal corporate announcement. – Reuters B R I E F SHYUNDAI MOTOR EXPECTS ROBUST INCREASE IN ELECTRIC-VEHICLE SALES SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Co said yesterday it expects to have solid backorder demand in major car markets and forecast robust growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales, including in the United States where regulatory concerns have clouded its outlook. The South Korean maker of the Ioniq 5 model is targeting an ambitious 54% jump in EV sales in 2023 to 330,000 globally. Hyundai Motor’s net profit for OctoberDecember tripled to 1.7 trillion won (RM5.85 billion) on a 24% climb in revenue. – Reuters GERMAN SOFTWARE GIANT SAP PLANS TO CUT 3,000 JOBS FRANKFURT: German software giant SAP said yesterday it planned to cut some 3,000 jobs this year, joining a wave of layoffs in the global tech sector. The Walldorf-based group, which offers both traditional software and cloud-based computing services, said: “The programme is expected to affect approximately 2.5% of SAP’s employees.” SAP has a workforce of around 120,000 employees worldwide, meaning it plans to shed some 3,000 jobs. – AFP NOKIA SAYS GAINING MARKET SHARE, OPTIMISTIC ON 2023 HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM: Nokia beat quarterly operating profit expectations and forecast higher 2023 sales as the Finnish telecom equipment maker said it had been able to gain market share, benefiting from 5G rollout in countries such as India. Chief executive Pekka Lundmark said Nokia saw another year of growth ahead in 2023. Nokia’s fourthquarter comparable operating profit rose to €1.15 billion (RM5.32 billion) from €908 million last year, beating the €924.6 million mean forecast of 10 analysts polled by Refinitiv. – Reuters
13 * SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 RORY MCILROY has given his side of the story after America’s Patrick Reed reportedly threw a tee at him, saying: “If roles were reversed, I’d be expecting a lawsuit.” The spat, on the range at the Dubai Desert Classic, has seen tensions flare up between those on Saudi-backed tour and loyalists towards the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. After a report on Spanish website tengolf.com claimed Reed tossed a tee in McIlroy’s direction after being snubbed, the Northern Irishman has clarified the situation. “I was down by my bag and he came up to me, and I was busy working and sort of doing my practice, and I didn’t really feel like… I didn’t feel the need to acknowledge him,” said McIlroy. “So I didn’t see a tee coming my direction at all, but apparently that’s what happened. And if roles were reversed and I’d have thrown that tee at him, I’d be expecting a lawsuit.” That was a reference to the legal action Reed is taking on several fronts following his decision to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series. The former Masters champion is one of 13 players involved in an arbitration case with the DP World Tour over sanctions imposed for playing the first LIV event last June and has also launched a defamation lawsuit against several media members and organisations. The lawyer representing Reed in that case also subpoenaed McIlroy and Tiger Woods in regards to the players-only meeting that was held prior to the BMW Championship in August. The subpoenas are part of a civil lawsuit filed in June by Larry Klayman which claims that Florida residents who bought tickets to PGA Tour events, or would in future, were damaged by the PGA Tour allegedly weakening fields by suspending players who joined LIV. Asked if it was naive of Reed to expect a warm welcome given the circumstances, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve. “So of course, trying to have a nice time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers that, you’re not going to take that well. “I’m living in reality, I don’t know where he’s living. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t expect a hello or a handshake.” McIlroy also ruled out the possibility of repairing his previously close relationship with another LIV player, Sergio Garcia, and dismissed claims that LIV CEO Greg Norman’s position had been strengthened by Majed Al Sorour reportedly stepping down as managing director. “If the chief executive doesn’t have an executive team, I don’t know how strong that is,” said McIlroy, whose call for Norman to step down to allow a settlement in golf’s civil war to be negotiated has been echoed by Tiger Woods. “He can’t do it himself. He needs to rely on a team just like all of us rely on teams, right, to do things.” – The Independent IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PANCAR GENERASI (M) SDN. BHD. [Company Registration No. 199101008623 (218935-V)] (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, that the Special Resolutions set out below were duly passed by the members of the company on the 19th January 2023: “That the Company be wound up voluntarily by way of a members’ voluntary liquidation and that NAGARAJAN A/L THAMBIAH [NRIC No: 530523-10-5505] of 3rd Floor, No. 122, Jalan Thamby Abdullah, Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets.” YOGESHWARY A/P SAMIVALOO Director Kuala Lumpur 27th January 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PANCAR GENERASI (M) SDN. BHD. [Company Registration No. 199101008623 (218935-V)] (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the above named company which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 27th February, 2023 to send their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidator of the said Company; and if so required in writing from the said Liquidator, the creditors are to be represented by their solicitors or personally to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts are proven. Kuala Lumpur 27th January 2023 NAGARAJAN A/L THAMBIAH Liquidator 3rd Floor, No. 122, Jalan Thamby Abdullah, Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur. Item Reg No Make Model Price 1 W1478E 2013 PERODUA MYVI 15000 2 JMU1910 2011 PROTON PERSONA 10000 3 WC2340A 2015 PROTON PREVE 17000 4 WUR583 2010 PROTON SATRIA 8000 5 AKJ9968 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TBA 6 VAF9339 VAF9339 2016 NISSAN X-TRAIL 45000 7 WC3203M 2016 PROTON PERSONA 15000 8 VA43 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 204000 9 VBD3310 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E200 179000 10 VBL9360 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E 183000 11 WXM6318 2012 PROTON PREVE 9000 12 VW6471 2017 NISSAN ALMERA 29000 13 RP6936 2017 NISSAN SERENA 57000 14 NDN9729 2016 TOYOTA INNOVA 41000 15 VL3951 2016 NISSAN X-TRAIL 50000 16 VAC768 2017 NISSAN ALMERA 29000 17 PPX5430 2021 WMOTO WM110 2000 18 VGR2861 2021 HONDA VARIO 3500 19 VFU8581 2020 YAMAHA MT-15 8000 20 VBC1884 2017 KTM 250 DUKE 5300 21 BQA4309 2019 HOHAN ZZ4255 44000 22 WC2579R 2015 MITSUBISHI FUSO FE71PB8SRDG1 36000 23 BNF1765 2014 MITSUBISHI FUSO 69000 24 VDP9666 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS 3344S 6x4 358000 25 T/WC4418 2019 KIJANGMAS VEHICLE SDN BHD KMV 103000 26 WTL8865 2010 TOYOTA VIOS 20000 27 PPG7527 2020 HONDA RS150R FS150FL 6000 28 PPU764 2021 HONDA RS150R FS150FH/FH3/FJ 7000 29 NDT1063 2021 HONDA DASH 4000 30 VCE6232 2018 BMW 330E 115000 31 VEK6232 2020 VOLVO XC90 T8 270000 For more information contact us at 016-6999170 | 012-5553727 (WhatsApp) www.pickles.my | [email protected] Scan QR to download Pickles Auctions App PICKLES ASIA SDN BHD [1231292-D] Lot 19391, Batu 8 ½, Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desaria, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 31 Bank Repossessed cars, bikes and trucks for sale by auction via eBidding, all at attractive reserve prices.All are invited, come join our PUBLIC AUCTION on Wednesday, 1st Feb 2023 at 11.00am - 12.00pm.Viewing and inspection on Tuesday, 31st Jan 2023 from 9.30am - 5.30pm. Download Pickles Auctions app to view all auction listings or visit www.pickles.my 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI MELAKA DALAM NEGERI MELAKA, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: MA - A72NCvC - 210 - 12 / 2022 ANTARA GUAN HUAT SENG (HENG KEE) SDN. BHD. (No. Syarikat: 197901004575)(48774-P) ... PLAINTIF DAN (1) SIN HONG HING (No. K/P 860331-59-5265) (2) TEAW SHU JUAN (No. K/P 880221-05-5370) (3) SIN KHENG HOONG (No. K/P 870925-05-5177) berniaga sebagai ETON NINE TWO NINE RESTAURANT (No. Syarikat: 200803131958) (NS0042092K) ...DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI KEPADA: SIN HONG HING berniaga sebagai ETON NINE TWO NINE RESTAURANT (No. Syarikat: 200803131958) (NS0042092K) 147 Bukit Pelandok 71960 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan TEAW SHU JUAN berniaga sebagai ETON NINE TWO NINE RESTAURANT (No. Syarikat: 200803131958) (NS0042092K) No. 497 Jalan DS1/8 Bandar Dataran Segar 71010 Lukut, Negeri Sembilan SIN KHENG HOONG berniaga sebagai ETON NINE TWO NINE RESTAURANT (No. Syarikat: 200803131958) (NS0042092K) No. 118 Bukit Pelandok 71010 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret, Melaka dalam Guaman No. MAA72NCvC-210-12/2022 oleh GUAN HUAT SENG (HENG KEE) SDN. BHD. (No. Syarikat: 197901004575)(48774-P) yang beralamat di Bangunan GHS, 388A Jalan Tengkera, Taman Siantan, 75200 Melaka yang mana Plaintif menuntut jumlah sebanyak RM12,500.00; faedah keatas RM12,500.00 dari 11 November 2019 sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh; dan kos tindakan pada asas peguamcara dan anakguam ataupun “solicitor and client basis”. Dan bahawa telah diperintahkan oleh Mahkamah ini bahawa penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan kepada kamu dalam tindakan ini hendaklah dilaksanakan melalui tindakan penampalan dan pengiklanan di mana penampalan dan pengiklanan hendaklah dianggap penyampaian yang lengkap dan sempurna ke atas kamu empat belas (14) hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan dan pengiklanan. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan tersebut kamu mesti hadir samada secara sendiri atau melalui peguambela kamu di Mahkamah Majistret, Melaka pada 13 Februari 2023 (secara e-review) pada pukul 9.00 pagi. Jika kamu ingkar hadir sedemikian, penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 27.1.2023 ..................t.t.................. Tetuan Amy Yeo & Associates Peguamcara bagi Plaintif Notis ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Amy Yeo & Associates, Peguambela dan Peguamcara, Peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan di atas yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di. No. 525-B, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka [FAIL RUJ: AY/GHS/L/8.1387/2022/NH] 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF VIN HENG ENTERPRISE SDN.BHD. (Company No. 179525-A) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION) Pursuant to a Written Resolution of the shareholders of the company dated 19 January 2023 the following resolution was duly passed: VOLUNTARY WINDING UP AND APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR “That the company be wound up voluntarily; and that Mr Ong Tee Chew of T C Ong Corporate Services, No. 175A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan be and is hereby appointed liquidator for the purpose of such winding-up”. Dated this 27 January 2023 Signed Kwan Choong Leong @ Wan Choong Leong Director IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF VIN HENG ENTERPRISE SDN.BHD. (COMPANY NO. 179525-A) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION) NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the creditors of the above-named Company, which is being wound-up voluntarily, are required on or before the 27 February 2023 to send in their names and addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the liquidator of the said Company and, if so required in writing from the said liquidator, either by their solicitors or personally to come in and prove the said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. Signed ONG TEE CHEW Liquidator T C Ong Corporate Services 175A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan. Dated this 27 January 2023 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF SEMATAN ETIKA SDN BHD Registration No.: 201401020274 (1096360-K) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act 2016, a Final Meeting of the Members of Sematan Etika Sdn Bhd will be held at the Liquidator’s office at No. 1 Jalan Lasam, 30350 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Tuesday, 28 February 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: AGENDA 1. To receive and adopt the account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of. Cheai Weng Hoong Liquidator Date: 27 January 2023 Note: A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote instead of him. A proxy may but need not be a member of the Company. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at No. 1 Jalan Lasam, 30350 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting. McIlroy speaks out on ‘teegate’ spat Proteas seek to avoid embarrassment SOUTH AFRICA go into a one-day international series against England in Bloemfontein today needing a strong performance to ensure automatic qualification for the Cricket World Cup later this year. The three-match series is part of the International Cricket Council’s World Cup Super League, from which the top eight teams will qualify for the World Cup in India in October and November. South Africa need to win at least three of their remaining five fixtures – they also have to play two matches against the Netherlands – to climb above West Indies, who are currently in eighth place after completing their programme. But Sri Lanka could also leapfrog the West Indies if they win at least two matches in their final series in New Zealand in March. South Africa can guarantee qualification by winning all five of their remaining games. Teams that fail to win a World Cup place automatically will have to play in a qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June and July. – AFP JOFRA ARCHER rates himself “about 80%” fit ahead of his long-awaited England return but the fast bowler is determined to get himself back in the kind of shape that saw him play a starring role in the 2019 Ashes and Cricket World Cup. Archer spearheaded England’s 50-overs World Cup success on home soil that year, bowling the super over that helped them lift the trophy, and took 22 wickets in the Ashes series against Australia. Elbow and back injuries disrupted his career over the last two years and the 27- year-old only made his competitive return earlier this month in South Africa’s Twenty20 league, impressing with eight wickets in five matches. Archer is set to make his first England appearance since March 2021 in the threematch ODI series against South Africa, which starts in Bloemfontein today. With an Ashes series and World Cup looming this year, he is keen to pick up where he left off. “Hopefully it can be a repeat of 2019,” Archer said. “We’ve got a 50-over World Cup again and an Ashes in the same year so more of the same, please. “I need to spend the next two, three, four months fine-tuning the body and making myself a bit more resilient. Let me sort that out first and then I can look forward to holding the red ball in my hand again. “I know whenever I’m fully fit, I don’t think there’s much that can stop me, it’s just a matter of when that was going to be.” A fit and in-form Archer would be a major boost for England’s World Cup title defence as well as their bid to win the Ashes for the first time since 2015. “It is an exciting prospect to think about playing with the guys again, especially with the brand of cricket they are playing, which is very exciting,” Archer added. “I might have to do some extra bowling during the weeks when I’m in India (for the Indian Premier League). But that is absolutely fine because I want to play in the Ashes, so I’m going to have to do all the hard yards to tick those boxes.” – Reuters Returning Archer wants to rediscover form █ JACK RATHBORN McIlroy. – REUTERSPIX
14 theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 SPORTS OUSMANE DEMBELE’S strike, capping a brilliant individual display, helped Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 1-0 yesterday, and reach the Copa del Rey semifinals. The French forward struck in the 52nd minute to power the record 31-time cup-winners through against 10-man La Real, who had Brais Mendez sent off late in the first half. Barcelona have enjoyed a strong start to 2023, winning the Spanish Super Cup and moving three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, and continued it in a pulsating cup clash. Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad have thrilled in the league, sitting third, but were missing veteran playmaker David Silva and Mikel Merino through injury. Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, on his 43rd birthday, guided his team to a nervy victory, thanks to Dembele. The coach defended Dembele when taking over at Barcelona in November 2021, saying that with hard work he could be the best winger in the world. “The most important thing is having the mentality that you will make the difference at Barcelona,” Xavi told reporters yesterday. “For me, Dembele is still one of the best in the world in his position. I am happy for him because he’s a good guy and a good professional. “He has turned things around and that is not easy at Barca.” Barcelona broke the deadlock when Jules Kounde slid Dembele in down the right wing and he drove into the box and lashed the ball past Alex Remiro at the near post. It was the French forward’s third goal in six games and another sign of his superb form under Xavi. “It’s hard to stop a player at such a level, in form and having a day like this,” said Alguacil. “We made things too easy for him in the first half… I think we were afraid. If you give half a metre to Dembele, you’re screwed.” – AFP /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Serving up a variety Djokovic’s secret weapon shows Rublev what he’s missing EVERYBODY knows about Novak Djokovic’s movement, the textbook backhand and that fearsome mentality to always respond during vital points. But even at 35 years of age and with 21 grand slams triumphs, there is a nuance to his game, a subtle adjustment to underline his relentless desire to improve and drain a final drop of potential from an extraordinary career. Inconsequential to many watching, but Djokovic’s second serve in his straight-sets Australian Open quarterfinal victory over Andrey Rublev demonstrated how difficult it can be to expose the Serbian’s vulnerable side. In fact, Djokovic’s gutsy second serve shone brightly in this contest over two hours. Revamped with extra menace at pivotal moments in the match, but also guided with immense control at other stages, it is enough to torment opponents. The Russian could be seen screaming both at himself and his team in the crowd at times as Djokovic dialled up an unpredictable and audacious second-serve game. Rublev actually landed slightly more first serves (70%) than Djokovic (64%), but won just 61% compared to 80% on the Serbian’s. Yet the intriguing factor in the game is how Djokovic was rarely flustered when Plan A, dictated by every player’s ideal first serve, eluded him. Djokovic won 50% of the points on his second serve points, illustrating the difficulty in seizing a break – with just three such occurrences in the entire tournament. His win rate on the second serve was almost 78% more than Rublev, who boasts a flashy game built behind a rocket of a forehand. “The first two sets don’t speak of the reality of the match,” Djokovic conceded. “We had some close games, Andrey is a great opponent and a great player, one of the biggest forehands and one of the quickest players on the tour. “All the important shots and moments, I found my best tennis, it’s what makes me so pleased.” It was a compliment from Djokovic, yet it exposed the lack of variety in Rublev’s game, which was apparent when you delve a little deeper into those second serves. Djokovic’s range leaves opponents befuddled with 66kph between his slowest and fastest second serve, a gap 27kph greater than Rublev, ensuring better timing than the Russian. Djokovic has taken years to perfect this part of the game since emphasising it as part of his tactical repertoire alongside former strategy coach Craig O’Shannessy. By holding back, noticeably at the US Open in 2018, Djokovic gains accuracy, allowing him to target specific parts of his opponent’s return game. This secret weapon shows Rublev just what it takes to make that leap from a top five player in the world, with three career titles, to shattering that quarterfinal barrier in the grand slams, which has blocked his path to a maiden slam on seven occasions already. The way Rublev bludgeons his forehand is an impressive sight, but the depth to which he can improve has been illustrated by Djokovic in his 19th grand slam season. Djokovic has never looked so complete. – The Independent Dembele fires Barca past Sociedad to Copa semis WIMBLEDON champion Elena Rybakina defeated Victoria Azarenka to reach her second grand slam final at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old has shown the same form that carried her to a maiden major title on the lawns of SW19 last year, using her big serve and groundstrokes to overpower opponents including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Her latest victim was two-time former champion Azarenka, who was back in the semifinals for the first time since her second title at Melbourne Park in 2013. The Belarusian fought back from a break down in the opening set but paid for too many errors in the tie-break, and Rybakina was the more composed in the second to seal a 7-6 (4) 6-3 victory. “I’m super happy and proud, with my team also,” said Rybakina. “It’s an incredible atmosphere and I’m super happy to be in the finals and play one more time here. “I got a lot of experience from Wimbledon. I just want to come on court and really enjoy the experience. For sure I’ll try my best, I’ll fight, and hopefully I’m going to win.” The Kazakh can claim to have the best serve in the women’s game following Serena Williams’ retirement, and she set her stall out early with three aces in a row to finish the opening game. It was Azarenka, one of the best returners in the game in her heyday, who secured the first break of serve but back came Rybakina with three games in a row to lead 5-3. She was unable to serve it out, though, her big weapon letting her down for once, as Azarenka saved a set point before breaking back and forcing a tie-break. The 33-year-old was having some success in getting Rybakina off balance but a double fault was one of five unforced errors in the tie-break, which was far too many. The pattern continued in the second set, with Rybakina punishing Azarenka when she missed her first serve and using her big game to keep her nose in front. Although she was again unable to serve it out at 5-2, a break of the Azarenka serve sent Rybakina, who hit 30 winners, through to a first Australian Open final. – The Independent █ JACK RATHBORN █ ELEANOR CROOKS Union Berlin up to second UNION BERLIN have cut Bayern Munich’s lead on top of the table to three points after a come-frombehind 2-1 win at Bremen yesterday. Werder, who were thrashed 7-1 by Cologne on Saturday, scored after 13 minutes through Amos Pieper but the defender turned villan just four minutes later when his poor back pass found Kevin Behrens, who fed Janik Haberer for the equaliser. “It was like being between heaven and hell” Pieper told reporters after the match, “it’s my clear fault.” Behrens was involved again in the first minute of the second half, heading in a corner while unmarked to give Union a valuable lead in their quest for a first ever Champions League berth. Union manager Urs Fischer praised his side, saying they played “masterful and clever football” ahead of the weekend’s city derby with Hertha Berlin. “Thirty-three points halfway through (the season), that’s exceptional. We have the derby coming up on Sunday, we have to be ready again.” Bellingham irreplaceable: Kehl BORUSSIA DORTMUND sporting director Sebastian Kehl yesterday said the club wants to hold onto English teen star Jude Bellingham “for a long time”. Bellingham, 19, has already captained Dortmund, and an impressive World Cup in Qatar has several of Europe’s biggest clubs queueing up to secure his services. Speaking with Sky Germany, Kehl said “there have been no inquiries at the moment” for the “irreplaceable” midfielder. “If you saw him last weekend, with the focus and the passion that he has on the pitch (you’d see) that he is irreplaceable for us at the moment.” Kehl said that Dortmund hope to keep Bellingham, but could not promise he will stay. “From a sporting perspective, I would be thrilled if the boy would stay and would stay a long time at Borussia Dortmund. “But I can’t predict how the situation will develop over the next few months.” Kehl refused to speculate on reports in the German press that Dortmund had offered to make Bellingham the club’s best-paid player in order to keep him at the club. “The lad is totally focused on football, on Dortmund,” he insisted. … as Reyna delivers for Dortmund AMERICAN striker Gio Reyna scored a last-gasp winner in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Mainz yesterday, securing the three points deep into injury-time. The 20-year-old US international Reyna also scored the fourth in Dortmund’s 4-3 home win over Augsburg on Sunday. On Wednesday he nodded in a header with a minute of injury time remaining, sinking a dogged Mainz. Dortmund got off to the worst possible start when Lee Jae-Sung gave Mainz the lead in just the second minute but Julian Ryerson equalised just two minutes later with a deflected long-range effort. Manager Edin Terzic made a triple change after 61 minutes, bringing on wingers Reyna and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens alongside returning striker Sebastien Haller. With the match looking to be petering out into a draw, Reyna pounced on Haller’s assist, sending the ball into the back of the net. Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt hailed his side’s “emotional victory” while Terzic tempered his glee with a reality check. “With almost the last action (of the game), we are the lucky winner, (but) that could have gone in any direction. There is still a lot of work waiting for us.” SHORTS Rybakina downs Azarenka to reach Aussie Open final Elena Rybakina hits a return against Victoria Azarenka (not pictured) during their Australian Open semifinal match. – AFPPIX
15 * SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | JANUARY 27, 2023 /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Devils mismatched musketeers Rashford, Martial and Antony are three very different parts of Ten Hag’s attacking whole THEY are the unstoppable, the unfit and the unconvincing. Erik ten Hag’s firstchoice forward line consists of a trio of very different parts, of one at the peak of form and fitness, another who plays too infrequently and a third who does not play well often enough; for outsiders’ liking, if not necessarily Ten Hag’s, anyway. His preferred attack, even before Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways, is formed of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Antony. The first semifinal of the new regime yesterday occurred without the oft-sidelined Frenchman, who missed a third successive game since the Manchester derby, who has not played 90 minutes in a competitive match under Ten Hag and yet who, since some auspicious displays in pre-season, has convinced the Dutchman he has qualities he wants to lead the line. “We play our best football when he is available,” said Ten Hag. “He has to be aware of that. If we want to be successful, we need him.” Martial’s enduring unavailability represents something of a mystery; his problems seem more physical than psychological and he begged to start against Manchester City, only to come off at half-time. And yet Ten Hag is struggling to explain why Martial’s mercurialness extends to the question of if he is even fit. “He has to be more available,” he said. “He can’t do nothing about it and sometimes also (he has) bad luck but sometimes you don’t know what the reason behind it is.” The significance of Martial is in part illustrated by the alternatives. Ten Hag’s secondstring front three at the moment consists of the rookie Alejandro Garnacho, who has only started two League games in his career, the loanee Wout Weghorst, who was relegated with Burnley last season, and the absent Jadon Sancho, who is back in training but, for a 15th consecutive game, will was not on the bench yesterday. Antony can be overshadowed. Ten Hag cited the healthy scoring statistics of his former Ajax charge. The criticism lies less in Antony’s tally of five goals than his general performance level. “He is not losing games, he is playing and the team is winning and that already gives a message how well he is performing,” Ten Hag argued. “I see space for improvement and we want him to be more direct. He has an impact but with his capabilities, with his talents, he can do even more.” Yet United’s revival is being fired by a solitary forward. Rashford has 10 goals in his last 10 games, and 18 for the season. Their other attackers, even including the departed Ronaldo, only have 19 between them. It has been a colossal one-man effort, even as Ten Hag stressed his tactics are suiting the rejuvenated Rashford. “This team can help him be in the right position to score goals,” he said. “This team is constructed so that his qualities come to the fore.” Those qualities have been very apparent of late, but Rashford has long had admirers. Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in December his club would be interested in signing the England international on a free transfer in the summer. United then triggered a one-year contract extension and are in talks about a longer deal. But while Rashford has taken on Ronaldo’s mantle as the main man in United’s attack, it is instructive that PSG see him as a potential successor if the trio of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar are broken up. Ten Hag feels a Mancunian is best served remaining in Manchester. “I hope that all our players can get interest from clubs because that means you do a good job,” he said. “But I think he understands Manchester United is his club first and in this environment, in this team, he is playing his best football.” The rest of his answer was illustrative of his own considerable ambitions. United have not won a trophy for six years and finished sixth last season. He explained: “I would say this is the best place to be because we want to construct the best team first in England, then in Europe, then in the world.” It is something Sir Alex Ferguson did, often with a phalanx of feared forwards. Now Ten Hag may have a trio who can’t stop scoring, can’t get on the pitch and can’t live up to a huge price tag respectively. But if every goal Rashford scores may make him more appealing to Paris Saint-Germain, it also contributes to the sense Ten Hag is taking them towards being the best. If the eventual target is the world, first comes the Carabao Cup. – The Independent Bajcetic surprised by rapid rise at Liverpool LIVERPOOL teenager Stefan Bajcetic admits his rapid rise into Jurgen Klopp’s first team has surprised even him. The 18-year-old made his first Premier League start in last weekend’s goalless draw at home to Chelsea in only his 10th appearance. He made his debut as a 70th-minute substitute in August’s 9-0 win over Bournemouth and his first Champions League outing a fortnight later before returning to the U-23s for a couple of EFL Trophy games, while still remaining in and around Klopp’s squad. He scored at Aston Villa on Boxing Day and having impressed in last week’s FA Cup third-round replay at Wolves was retained in the team for Chelsea, with Klopp keen to inject more energy into a midfield which has looked lacklustre all season. “I’m a little bit surprised to be fair. Last season I was playing U-18s,” Bajcetic said. “But I’ve tried to improve and tried to impress here, and if I get an opportunity, I try to take it. “It (starting against Chelsea) gives me massive confidence. I’ve been training hard and trying to improve throughout the whole season. I’m just trying to get the opportunities and when I get them, play good.” Despite his age, Bajcetic clearly retains the faith of Klopp and looks likely to start again this weekend at Brighton in the FA Cup as Liverpool return to the scene of what the manager called the worst performance of his managerial career earlier this month. Klopp has praised the “massive steps” the teenager has made and admitted it would have been unfair to leave him out for bigger names like Fabinho and Jordan Henderson after his display at Wolves. “He always tells me to do what I do in training, (but) in training you are more confident because you are not in front of 60,000 people,” Bajcetic added. “It sounds small but it makes a difference to tell me that.” The youngster has also been learning the ropes from the vastlyexperienced Thiago Alcantara, presenting a nice symmetry as the pair’s fathers once played alongside each other at Celta Vigo – the club from which Spaniard Bajcetic joined Liverpool in December 2020, originally as a centreback. “He makes everything a bit easier,” Bajcetic said. “He talks to me a lot, in Spanish as well. He gives me confidence and is always trying to help me. I am very thankful to him for that.” – The Independent IF Pep Guardiola’s influence on football tactics involves the false No. 9 and the idea of perpetual possession, his recent contribution to the game’s lexicon is somewhat odder. Last week, after coming from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 4-2, he branded Manchester City the “happy flowers team”. The implication was that City were fair-weather footballers, lacking the requisite resolve. The explanation was that the architect of tiki-taka wanted more traditional qualities: passion, fire, desire. Three days later, fresh from overcoming Wolves 3-0, Guardiola glimpsed a bit of a response. City’s journey away from being happy flowers to the opposite – depressed plants? miserable weeds? – has begun but not finished. “It is getting better but it is just one day, I have to wait,” he said. He wants to see more. In part, that is a reflection of his character: he is never satisfied. His permanent perfectionism meant that, if others judge City on goals and wins, Guardiola noted: “There are things like how you react, especially when the ball is out of play and after that we have a lack of concentration and have to pay more attention in many details.” If he is keen to see more hunger, it is entirely typical he also focuses on an attention to detail. Motivational speaking is married with micro-management. But if the City squad is divided into those whose attitude endear them to Guardiola and those he is trying to galvanise, it is notable that the targets of his criticism appear largely to be his serial winners. To varying degrees, the broadside he chose to deliver in public seemed aimed at Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Kalvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva; perhaps even Kevin de Bruyne, too. Most have spent more time on the bench since the World Cup, even if Foden’s absence against Wolves was explained by a minor injury, sustained in the Manchester derby and making him a doubt for Arsenal tomorrow (4am Malaysian time). De Bruyne, an unused substitute against Spurs and superb against Wolves, may be a psychologist’s dream. A month ago, Guardiola reflected that the Belgian is often at his best when grumpy. Now he said: “After seven years we know each other very well.” And yet he qualified his praise of his creator in chief whereas he was unequivocal about his top scorer after Erling Haaland’s fourth hattrick of the campaign. “He lives 24 hours (a day) for his profession, his job, his passion, his love,” he said. It continued a theme. If footballing orthodoxy is that a winning culture comes from senior professionals, Guardiola instead seems to think his stems from relative newcomers with smaller medal collections. He reflected he lost some of his hunger after winning La Liga four times with Barcelona. After the Spurs game, the four he identified for acclaim were Julian Alvarez, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Rico Lewis. Three days later, two of them were substitutes and a third substituted at halftime. He can be a mass of contradictions but an underlying theme is a quest to reinvent his team while remaining successful. Perhaps, for a man who forever wants to experiment, a psychological ploy is a new way of staving off boredom and testing a theory. But there is a way in which Guardiola is entering uncharted territory. The contract he signed in November will extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium to nine years. Arguably last season’s title-winning team was already his second side but the change thus far has tended to be enforced by age, by the need to replace the generation of greats he inherited. Exiling players to the bench is a lesser sanction by Guardiola but in questioning the hunger of some of his stalwarts while hailing newer faces, he may have fired some warning shots this week. – The Independent Guardiola navigating uncharted territory █ RICHARD JOLLY █ CARL MARKHAM █ RICHARD JOLLY ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP SEMIFINAL 1ST LEG: Nottingham Forest 0 Manchester United 3 (Rashford 6, Weghorst 45, Fernandes 89). SPANISH COPA DEL REY QUARTERFINALS: Barcelona 1 Real Sociedad 0, Osasuna 2 Sevilla 1 aet. BUNDESLIGA: Mainz 05 1 Borussia Dortmund 2, Bayer Leverkusen 2 VfL Bochum 0, SC Freiburg 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 1, Augsburg 1 Borussia Moenchengladbach 0, Werder Bremen 1 Union Berlin 2. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts B. Munich 17 10 6 1 51 15 36 Union Berlin 17 10 3 4 29 22 33 RB Leipzig 17 9 5 3 37 23 32 E. Frankfurt 17 9 4 4 36 25 31 B. Dortmund 17 10 1 6 31 25 31 RESULTS & STANDINGS Guardiola
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] I’m a little bit surprised to be fair. Last season I was playing U-18s…But I’ve tried to improve and tried to impress here, and if I get an opportunity, I try to take it… I’m just trying to get the opportunities and when I get them, play good.” Liverpool’s Stefan Bajcetic QUOTE OF THE DAY FRIDAY • JANUARY 27, 2023 Ten Hag hails forward as Devils move towards Wembley MANCHESTER UNITED boss Erik ten Hag praised the “unstoppable” Marcus Rashford after his brilliant goal against Nottingham Forest helped his side put one foot in the Carabao Cup final. Rashford scored for the 10th time in 10 games since the World Cup to put United on course for a comprehensive 3-0 first-leg semifinal win at the City Ground. The 25-year-old is arguably the inform player in the country at the moment and produced a moment of individual brilliance as he ran 50 yards and then converted at the near post. Wout Weghorst’s first goal for the club and Bruno Fernandes’ late strike means that only a miraculous turnaround in next week’s second leg at Old Trafford will stop United from reaching the February final. If Rashford continues this form, having scored in every round of the League Cup so far, he could well fire United to silverware which would end a five-year trophy drought. “There are more players who are playing really well but I am happy with Marcus’ performance and his development,” Ten Hag said. “From the start of the season he is growing and he keeps doing that and what we have to aim for with him, and he is responsible for that, is to keep this process going. “If he is in this mood, this spirit, he is unstoppable and it’s about the team to get him in the right positions. “Also, possession, we have a plan but finally is also the intuition, the creativity of an individual like Rashy is to create chances.” The Dutchman was also pleased to see January recruit Weghorst break his duck after his loan move from Burnley. “For strikers, it’s always important (to score),” he said. “I think he did a great job at Crystal Palace and Arsenal with pressing, with targets and movements. “The goal from Bruno at Crystal Palace, he was part of it because he makes the right movement to the front post. “The goal of Rashford at Arsenal, he was part of it by dragging the centre half away but strikers are there to score goals and when they don’t score they’re not happy. “So it’s important for him, for his confidence as well that he scored that goal. And this is one of the ways to score goals – by being in the box, being present.” Forest, whose history in the League Cup is almost as rich as United’s with four titles in 12 years under Brian Clough, will see this as a missed opportunity to go to Old Trafford next week with something to hold on to. They had a strong period in the first half where Sam Surridge had a goal disallowed and Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson had decent opportunities. But Cooper knows it is almost mission impossible next week. “It’s a really disappointing scoreline. With the two-legged affair the last thing you want to do is go to Old Trafford for the second leg with the result we got tonight,” he said. “That is the most disappointing thing. The manner of the goals, from the timing of them to how they have come about. “Rashford is one of the most inform players in the country so to allow him to do what he did was disappointing. “To go to Old Trafford with 2-0, you never know, it would be tough but you never know, so to concede late on and not accept what we had tonight is disappointing. “I think it is going to be incredibly tough next week. We have to be very professional and set some objectives to give ourselves an opportunity and also to make sure we go into the game and come out of it in a better place than we went into it.” – The Independent NEWCASTLE boss Eddie Howe hopes the frequent pain of falling agonisingly short during his playing days can help his side avoid complacency in their quest to reach Wembley. The Magpies seized the initiative in their Carabao Cup semifinal with Southampton thanks to Wednesday’s 1-0 first-leg success at St Mary’s. Howe endured repeated heartache as a defender with Bournemouth in the late 1990s and early 2000s as the club persistently missed out on a playoff spot in the fourth tier. The 45-year-old admits those experiences have had a lasting effect and will prevent him from taking anything for granted going into next week’s decisive home leg. “I’m not thinking of the final, I’m thinking of the semifinal,” said Howe. “We’ve got a huge game to play. We respect Southampton and the threats they have in their team and we need to make sure we’re at our best. “Unfortunately in my playing career I felt so many disappointments from potential moments of success that from my side I’m very calm, very level, knowing that there’s a lot of work to do. “When I’d just broken into the first team, we missed out on the playoffs on the last day and we made a habit of doing that. “For me, they’re really good experiences to look back on because you can be close and just miss out. “I don’t want my players to experience that and I don’t want the club to experience that, so I will do everything in my power to make sure we’re ready for next week.” Joelinton’s 73rd-minute strike earned Newcastle a narrow advantage as he brushed off a disallowed goal and a shocking second-half miss. The Magpies were also indebted to a pair of fine saves from goalkeeper Nick Pope, who twice denied Che Adams, before Saints substitute Adam Armstrong had a potential equaliser ruled out for handball following a VAR review. While Southampton face an FA Cup fourthround tie with Blackpool tomorrow before heading to the north east, Newcastle have a fixture-free week due to being knocked out of that competition by Sheffield Wednesday. Howe welcomes the additional training time and believes being mentally prepared for another raucous St James’ Park crowd will be crucial. “This week we’ll get a chance to get back on the grass and work on a few things that we need to improve,” he said. “I will be pleased to do that. “We go on to next week and we know that the challenges that we face are probably in part mental. “We’ll have the crowd support behind us, that will be hugely important, but we need to use it in the right way. “Their support and passion for Newcastle is unrivalled and it will be great to experience the atmosphere for the next game.” Southampton ended a frustrating evening with 10 men after defender Duje Caleta-Car was dismissed for a second booking four minutes from time. Forward Armstrong, a Newcastle academy graduate and boyhood Magpies fan, says Saints will “have a right go” on Tyneside next week. “The lads are gutted but it’s only 1-0, it’s not as bad as it sounds,” he told Southampton’s website. “We’ll go to St James’ with something to believe, it’s going to be a great atmosphere next week. It’s a massive game, what footballers live for, semifinals, big competitions, chance to get to Wembley. “We can’t get too down, we’re still in it. We’re going to go there and have a right go.” – The Independent Howe will do everything to guide Newcastle to Cup final █ JONATHAN VEAL █ ED ELLIOT ‘Unstoppable’ Rashford Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (left) runs with the ball to score his team first goal during their English League Cup semifinal first-leg match against Nottingham Forest. – AFPPIX